DSS
by Nemesis Astraea
Summary: Hayden Tenno has been on the run since the events of the Lasria mission. Years have gone by with the man wandering from one location to the next. Fate would have it he arrive in Shinto Teito, placing him at the start of a mad man's plan. How will his appearance effect the Sekirei Plan? Chapter 01 edited.
1. Chapter 1

I own nothing.

 **Dark Sector Sekirei**

 **Chapter 01**

Sekirei. Translation meaning Wagtail. It would seem odd for someone to be titled as such, but to those caught up in what is called the _Sekire-Plan_ it can mean much more. Sekirei are in fact individuals with incredible power and abilities no normal human can comprehend. In ancient times they were the basis of Gods and Demons, myths and legends. But in todays modern world they were young men and women who saught after something. More precisely, someone; their so-called destined one. When that person is found, whether it be man or woman, they seal their bond to that person through a kiss. This process is called winging. The one they kiss is called an Ashikabi. This person is the key to a Sekirei's true power, which is unlocked upon a kiss. An Ashikabi's powers increase with the number of Sekirei they wing.

Unfortunatly for one this is not the case. One Sekirei cannot be winged. Due to a botched procedure in her creation and growth, she was winged mistakenly without an Ashikabi. Because of this she bares the Sekirei mark on her forehead, which gives her the title of being a 'scrapped' Sekirei. Her name is Akitsu, Number 07 Sekirei, and by those who brought her into this world, a failure. Her hair was short and colored brown and her eyes were a gray/green color. Currently all she wore on her being was... simple to say the least. After escaping her place of birth all she wore was a simple pair of black panties and a torn and bloodied lab coat.

Her location at that moment was on a park bench. It was dark, the sun having set long ago. She had nothing to call her own. No one to call her own. The plan was going to go into effect any day now, and she was left with no way of being winged. It was heart wrenching when one understood what it meant to be winged, and then could not. Her 'brothers and sisters' were all slowly becoming winged, either by their true destined one... or forced by one that is not. Even if an Ashikabi that wasn't or was her true destined one was to kiss her, she would not react. Her wings would not appear.

Since knowing this would happen to her, she has shown no emotion, her expression a continuous blank stare into nothing. If an Ashikabi was to force a winging, she would accept it. She had decided this long ago. It would be better than to not be wanted.

And it would seem one perhaps had located her. She could hear someone approaching slowly, heavy footsteps in the shadows. When he came under the light of the park lamp she didn't show any form of surprise at his appearance. He was a tall man judging by his build. He wore a long coat that stretched to his ankles, with a poorly sewn hood added to it. The coat itself looked to have seen better days with the edges torn slightly and poorly sewn patchs here and there. Even his hands were covered in tight fitting gloves. Though the right one looked different than the left. It was old and cracked, looking to be in the sun for too long. The other... the left was odd. His steps grew heavier as he approached, almost terrifyingly so. The only form of emotion Akitsu did show was a slight rise of her brow.

The man looked to have noticed her, his step skipping slightly before he regained it with a bit of fervor. He was in front of her, knee resting on the edge of the bench. He looked her over, head moving from side to side. She felt no shame in her appearance. She was finally noticed after all. This was what she wanted. She only had to wait for him to wing her.

"Are you okay?" the man asked, his tone full of concern.

Akitsu blinked. She hadn't expected that to come from him. She stared at him with her blank expression with nothing to say. She still couldn't see his face as he leaned closer, his right hand gently moving at her bangs and brushing them aside to see the mark on her forehead. She cringed slightly, leaning from his touch. When he stopped and moved back, she cursed inwardly. She shouldn't have done that. She didn't want to be alone. She didn't want to be abandonned.

"Sorry, sorry," he said, his hands held up and away. "Look, I'm not going to hurt you. I saw the blood on your coat and wanted to make sure you were ok."

Akitsu looked at the coat she wore, which barely held any of her modesty. She had forgotten she had fought her way out of MBI. Her former 'tuner' being the first she had struck in order to escape. It was probably his blood. "It's not mine," she said in a low tone, but not so low as he could not hear her. She watched his shoulders sag, his head dipping a little.

"That's good," he said. His head rose again, looking over her figure. The light caught a bit of his face, allowing Akitsu to see a sharp jaw line and the tip of a perfectly shaped nose. "But that begs the queston of who's blood is it. And from the look of your state of dress, I'd say something happened." His hand rose to her, palm up and open for her to take. Akitsu hesitated for only a second before she placed her hand in his. His touch was gentle. "No defensive wounds, though I see some blood under the nails."

Hearing that, she did recall clawing her 'tuner' in the face before blasting him aside with a wave of ice. "He had it coming."

His head tilted. "He?" His tone had darkened only a fraction. "How long ago?"

"Almost a day."

"You've been out here on your own without any help for a whole day?" She nodded, and his head dropped. "People these days."

She watched him stand to his ful height, his hand leaving hers. When his touch left hers, she nearly cringed. But it didn't go far. He still held it out to her for her to take. Her lips parted slightly to ask him why, but no words came. She just stared.

"Come on. I'll take you to a hospital."

"If you're going to do that, you might as well leave her with me instead."

The stranger turned sharp. Surprisingly fast at that for a human. And with that speed the edge of his coat flaired, letting Akitsu catch sight of what he wore beneath it. It was not normal dress for a man to wear, that was fore sure. It looked military, but nothing she had seen in MBI. When his coat fell back down, she looked to the new arrival. It was a boy, probably in his mid teens. He had long unruly blonde hair and wore an all white dress suit. The smile on his face showed arrogance, which perfectly matched his tone. He was clean, obviously pampered and maybe even spoiled. But she could tell he was an Ashikabi. Though a 'scrapped' number such as herself, she could still sense her 'siblings'. One was close by. A rather strong one at that.

The hooded man relaxed a bit at looking at the boy, his hands dropping closer to his sides. The right hand flexed a little, the leather of his glove stretching to the brink of teaing. "Wasn't expecting a kid," he remarked. "I knew someone was in the shadows hiding." His head turned slightly to the left just where the light of the park lamp ended in darkness. "I guess he's the threat I'm feeling."

Another figure moved out into the light, this one Akitsu was familiar with. He was a tall Sekirei with gray hair and near matching silver eyes. He wore black pants with matching long sleeve shirt. It was open in the front, stopping just a few inches below his solar plexus, with crisscrossing bands of leather forming an 'X'. He wore a belt that looked more like an accesory than an actual functioning one. The only other distinguishing feature was the fingerless gloves and orange scarf he had wrapped around his neck and shoulders. This was Mutsu, Sekirei Number 05. In his hand he carried a traditional styled katana, his thumb resting against the tsuba.

When Mutsu said nothing, the boy simply grinned and started towards the 'scrapped' number. The stranger in the coat turned back to him. "Get back," he warned. "Don't know what's going on, but the girl isn't going anywhere but a hospital."

The boy paused, confused for only a second before he started to laugh. "Are you serious? You really don't know what she is, do you?"

"What are you implying?"

The boy blinked, a slight look of innocent confusion on his face. "So you know nothing of the Sekirei-Plan?"

His head tilted just slightly. "The what?"

The boy laughed even harder, nearly doubling over. "A foolish gaijin such as yourself doesn't even know who or what she is, and is standing between a true Ashikabi and his future Sekirei." He gave an unpleasant wave of his hand, standing straighter now. "Mutsu, remove this pest so I may wing my next toy."

"As you wish, my Ashikabi," the gray haired individual now known as Mutsu said.

The hooded stranger turned his attention to the swordsman. Akitsu watched silently, her expression still emotionless as ever, but a part of her felt something in this confrontation. She couldn't identify it though. But seeing the boy try and casually approach made her feel one thing: ill. The expression on his face was something she had expected from an Ashikabi to have when it looked to force a winging. She was just a prize to him. Something to claim.

She turned back to the stranger and Mutsu, the two seeming to be locked in a staring contest. She thought about the touch of his hand. He was gentle. She remembered his voice and how it sounded concerned for her well being. And with the brief exchange of words they had, he knew nothing of the Sekirei-Plan, Sekirei themselves, or what an Ashikabi was. He knew nothing of it and had shown he wanted to help her. Her brow dipped just the slighest.

Mutsu blinked, ready to draw his word till the tempreture in the air suddenly dropped, a wall of ice erupting in front of him and the individual he was about to face. Even his Ashikabi, Hayato Mikogami, was shocked, his mouth wide enough to let a bird fly in. They were both seperated from the man and the Sekirei they had planned to aquire. Mutsu however moved quickly when he felt a sudden killing intent come from the opposite side of the wall of ice, running quickly over and snatching up Hayato just as a spray of bullets tore through the wall of ice, cutting through enough of it that it began to crack and fall, kicking up a thin mist into the air.

"That... that barbaric brute!" Hayato shouted over the shoulder of his Sekirei. They were on the opposite side of the small park when Mutsu had stopped running, only for him to move again when another spray of bullets tore at the air where they once stood. "He's insane! He's actually trying to kill us!"

"I need to get you to safety, Mikogami-sama," Mutsu said in a calm voice, though the anger in his eyes showed his true emotion. He was not pleased that someone willingly aimed at his Ashikabi. "I will get you to a safe location before I return to deal with the threat and aquire Sekirei No. 07."

 **DSS**

Akitsu hadn't expected what had happened when she erected a wall of ice to seperate themselves from Mutsu and his Ashikabi. The minute the wall was up, the stranger had pulled a gun from under his coat; an automatic of some kind. She wasn't very versed in the type of firearms humans used, but it rapped loudly in the air, a long flame coming out at each burst as he fired through the ice. Perhaps she had surprised him, and took as a threat from Mutsu. He had turned, dragging a line of consecutive fire along the wall before stopping. She watched a blur towards the other end of the park before she felt a hand grab hers. She felt a tug and looked to the hooded stranger. His hood had been blown back now, his head completely revealed to her. He had dark eyes, nearly black as the color of his hair, long and unkept to where it touched the edge of the collar that was tight around his neck. Obviously he hadn't had a proper cut in some time. But all that black helped his pale complexion to stand out. It was like he had never been touched by the sun for wearing the hood for so long.

"We need to go, now!" he barked.

She didn't resist as he tugged her to her feet, the two quickly running in the opposite direction of Mutsu and his Ashikabi. She was strong, there was no denying that. And fast. Being a Sekirei gave that advantage but this man... was no normal man. Though she knew she could still go faster than him, he was moving fast for a human. Her enhanced senses allowed her to pick up his breathing, and she could tell it was steady. A sign he was physically at peak condition. A soldier maybe. But his state of dress didn't scream MBI. Looking at his face she could see he was mixed heritage of Japanese and perhaps English. His accent told her maybe North American.

They were out of the park and running through the streets in no time. The streets were barren, with them being the only signs of life in the late evening. But it wouldn't be long before Mutsu would come. He would not take kindly to someone attacking his Ashikabi. No Sekirei would. "We aren't safe," she whispered in a monotone voice. "Go North." She had heard the stories back in MBI. A place that no one was allowed to go unless given special entry from the one who ran it. The Hannya of the North. Being a single number, she knew who ran that area and was sure Mutsu wouldn't dare venture there when they made their way there. If they could get to that territory, they would be safe.

He looked back to her, dark eyes questioning her. "What's in the north?" he asked before looking ahead again.

"A safe place," she answered in the same tone.

They turned down the next street, going where she had suggested. She could still hear his breathing and it was still calm, even after running a few blocks already. He didn't even look tired, though he was sweating. She glanced up when she felt one of her kind close by. She just caught a glimpse of something black dash over the roof above them, though she wasn't sure if it was Mutsu or someone else.

"So you notice them as well?"

Akitsu looked to the man, a little surprised he had noticed. "Yes."

"When we get to this safe zone, you're going to have to explain to me what that was back there and what I've gotten myself in to." He looked back but then looked away. "Think we may need to get you something else to wear as well."

Akitsu blinked before looking down. She hadn't noticed once that the front of the stollen lab coat had opened in the front, her bare chest open to the world. "Thought it was a little cold." And uncomfortable considering there was nothing to restrain the large assets. She then moved her free arm to cover them, and to hold them in place.

"I bet," the man replied.

 **DSS**

The figure that was following them was not Mutsu, though they shared similar hair color and styles. This Sekirei was dressed all in black, even with a mask that hid his features from those who saw him. His name was Homura, Sekirei Number 06. Also known as the 'Sekirei Guardian'. Like most nights till the start of the God aweful Sekirei-Plan his mission is to protect unwinged Sekirei so that they may find their destined one. Of course he was just one man, scouring over an entire city in order to protect those he could. He was aware that there were some he could not get to, and only hoped that though forced that their Ashikabi was at least a decent person, though a good percentage of the time they never were.

He had been doing his nightly run when he had heard the gunfire. It bothered him a great deal if someone was using firearms, and had gone to investigate even though it was coming from the southern region. It didn't take long before he noticed a man running from the south dressed in a similar fashion as himself, though he could see the man's coat was a bit ragged and patched. He ran just ahead of a Sekirei he was familiar with, her hand held firmly in the others grasp while she attempted to hide her modesty with the other hand. They were racing to the north. He noted it was a faster pace than what a human should be able to move at that.

Homura's hazel colored eyes narrowed. What was number seven doing with him? He couldn't be her Ashikabi. To his knowledge she couldn't be winged. He was about to move when he felt another approaching, and turned in time to see Mutsu leaping up to the roof of a building a block away, and was quickly racing towards Homura. He blinked and turned back to the two running away. "So that's why." He turned back to Mutsu, the No. 05 Sekitrei. Upon noticing Homura, the winged Sekirei slid to a stop. His normal calm demeanor was cracked, but just slightly. His brow was creased and he sported a frown. Those were the noticable signs. Whoever that man was, he had angered No. 05 quite a bit. "Out for a stroll, Mutsu?"

"Step aside," Mutsu said, his thumb pushing up on the tsuba of his sword, the blade glinting from the city lights. "That man needs to pay for attacking Mikogami-sama and I need to retrieve that Sekirei."

Homura flexed his fingers. "You know I can't allow that. Besides she seems to want to be with her Ashikabi." He was banking on Mutsu believing she was already winged by the man. Maybe that notion would deter him from pursuing.

"Like all others, we recieved word of her condition from Hiroto," Mutsu stated. "We know she cannot have an Ashikabi. But because of her broken state she will bow to whoever takes her."

Homura smirked. "Looks taken to me."

Mutsu didn't waste another word. With a powerful upward swipe of his sheathed sword, the roof tore forth, a scar forming in the wake of his swipe. Rock and metal tore through towards Homura, the Fire Sekirei leaping back an impressive distance, a wall of fire springing in front of him to block most of the bebris coming at him. The second the wall was down Mutsu was only inches from him, another swipe of his sheathed sword nearly connecting with Homura's ribs had he not ducked at the last second. He twisted again in the air, avoiding a kick Mutsu had lashed out after his previous attack. As he fell, Homura raised his hand, a wave of fire forming in his palm before unleashing in a brilliant hell storm. Mutsu simply slashed virtically with his weapon, the flames completely splitting in half to harmlessly pass him.

Homura was not blind. He knew of Mutsu's stregnth and this wasn't going to be an easy battle. He simply just had to stall Mutsu long enough for the two to escape and get out of his range. Even now, Homura was feeling his 'sister' fading from his senses. Focusing on the fight, he leapt again as Mutsu came down, his weapon cracking the roof of another building with such force it nearly crumbled under his feet. Mutsu however didn't continue the fight. The moment Homura was setting off on the adjacent rooftop, Mutsu was on the ground dashing after the escaping Sekirei and Ashikabi. He let out a curse before giving chase himself, sticking to the roofs to have the high ground. He let loose a single fireball to slow down No.05 but Mutsu simply leapt over it, while the second one Homura threw he cut in away in a swingle swipe of his sword, the ensuing shockwave from his swing caving in the face of the building to his side.

Homura cursed, the roof nearly giving under his next step because of Mutsu's attack. "That Ashikabi must have really pissed him off," he said as he regained his footing and continued to chase his 'brother' as he rounded a corner, the Earth and Steel Sekirei having gained some distance due to the small slip in step.

 **DSS**

The stranger that held onto Akitsu's hand had looked back when he started hearing what seemed to be explosions going on from the direction they had escaped from. The 'scrapped' No. 07 looking back with her signature bored expression. Though the the strange man leading her had no clue as to what was going on, she was sure that it was No. 06 and 05 who were fighting. She had knowledge of only one Sekirei who could use fire, and he must have been the one who had been on the roofs when they had passed. But what was he doing fighting Mutsu?

"That sounds like its getting close," the strange Ashikabi said, turning his gaze foreward then to the side.

"They're coming," Akitsu said almost hypnotically with that monotone voice of hers.

He looked back at her past the long bangs that hung over the dark pools that were his eyes. "How do you know?"

"I can feel them. We can sense one another."

"Shit. So no matter where we turn, he'll follow us?"

"Unless we get to the north. They will not follow us there."

They turned a corner down another street due in part of the road stopping at a corner. They would have to go around another block before being able to continue north. "How can you be sure?"

"I just know," she remarked cryptically.

Another explosion went off, one not too far from where they had turned. Cursing again, the man immediatelly turned into an alleyway. Akitsu tilted her head when they stopped running, the man glancing out the opening of the alley before turning to her. "This is going to be a bit weird, but trust me," he said as he pulled his hood over his head. He stepped in closer, causing Akitsu's back to press to the brick wall behind her. "Now put your arms around my waist inside the coat, not around." Her expression never changed, but her left eyebrow did arch just the slighest as she followed his command, her arms encircling him beneath the longcoat and under his arms.

The touch of his... suit was strange. It wasn't like cloth. It felt more like armor. Some areas her hands touched felt like metal then leather along with strange latches or buckles. He stepped closer, her bare chest pressing into his chest as he pulled her into an embrace. It was warm. She dare say she felt... safe. And then they vanished in a wave of blue static. And for the first time Akitsu's expression was noticable if one could actually see her shocked expression. Her whole body tingled like nothing she had ever felt before. Her hair felt like it was going to stand on end. She turned her eyes to his face but saw nothing but the street at his side, a small spark of energy waving over her view for only a second. He whispered for her not to move, and she complied. Then Mutsu ran past the alley they hid in, Homura now on the ground chasing after him.

They didn't go far though. Akitsu could feel them stopping. But the fight was still on as a wave of heat washed down the street, followed by an explosion with shards of rock and concrete flying through the air. Mutsu slid back into view, turning in order to draw his sword almost as fast as she could blink, and sheath it, the wave of air he caused tearing the ground up and towards Homura who was just out of sight. Mutsu turned to the alley, pausing as he looked to be staring right at them, but did not move.

Mutsu was of course confused. She was there, he felt her. His eyes narrowed, looking to the shadows but of course could see nothing. She was there but... there was nothing. He stepped forward, but Homura fell from above, landing easily in front of his fellow Sekirei to impede his path. Homura had quickly glanced back and then back to Mutsu... then looked back again. Even he had a difficult time trying to locate Akitsu. It was like she was there but there was no sign of her.

Confusion surrendered to alerm when sirens were heard coming in their direction. Most likely the nearest fire fighters and authorities coming to deal with the bit of fire that had been set on the buildings. Not surprising. That amount of distruction could never go unnoticed. Mutsu fumed, looking at the approaching lights before glaring at Homura.

Homura moved into the shadows of the alley while Mutsu leapt up and onto the nearest roof, dashing on towards the south. Homura sighed, sweat pouring down his face. Mutsu had only looked winded in their bout, and Homura looked ready to fall down. He hadn't slept much of course so he added that to his current condition.

With a sigh he turned to leave. But a gun materializing in the air while pointed at your face would make anyone freeze. Especially when the suddenly materializing gun continued on with an arm, and then a body which held onto the No. 07 Sekirei. The man's hood hid his face but he could see those eyes glaring at him, his arm never shaking while holding the weapon at Homura's face. He slowly raised his arms out to show he was not going to fight. "I'm not a threat," he said. "I'm on your side..."

"Explain," the hooded man said. No, demanded. His tone all but said he was not in a playing mood.

"All will be explained, but right now the authorities are coming, and I do not wish to deal with MBI's private sucurity force." He then picked up on the sound of a helicopter. It was faint but it was drawing closer. He groaned, knowing full well who it could be. "Or the Disciplinary Squad." The man's eyes looked past Homura, seeing the lights in the sky of the approaching helicopter. The sirens were getting closer. He lowered the weapon, tucking it to his waist under the coat. Homura watched him move from Akitsu, the Sekirei taking his right hand in hers. Homura stared at the joined hands, then to the man. His hands slowly dropped at his sides, and cautiously he moved around the pair. "Come. To the north is a safe haven for Sekirei and Ashikabi alike. There, Mutsu nor MBI's goons will not follow you."

"Lead the way," he said.

Homura nodded before sprinting off towards the opposite end of the alley, the man and Akitsu staying pace with him. When they emerged out the other end, they turned right and continued on north. The Sekirei Guardian looked back to see the man eying him cautiously. Though they kept pace, he was a good few feet behind him, well out of striking reach. "Can I get a name?" He looked at Akitsu. "And why is she dressed like that?"

"I'll be the one asking questions here," the man barked. "I stop to help her out, the next thing I know a wall of ice pops up, and this nut job taking orders from a kid tries to chase us down. And she tells me you can sense one another. What the hell is this Sekirei and Ashikabi bullshit and what is this plan I've heard about?"

Homura glanced back then back ahead. "Where did you hear it?"

"From some kid in a white suit."

"That was Mikogami Hayato. He controls the southern sector."

"A kid? And what is this whole sector buisness? And this MBI?"

Homura actually stopped in his running, looking dumbfounded. "You honestly don't know?" He instantly regreted that as he felt a vice like grip take hold of his neck. The man was strong! Homura felt his body lift and turn, his back slamming into the wall of a some store which the name of he didn't care to know. He felt his feet dangling, and no matter how much he stretched his toes, he could not touch the ground. "Wha..."

"I'm getting answers, now." Again the gun was drawn and aimed at Homura's knee. "I ask, you answer. We clear?"

"Yes!"

"Okay then." He lowered Homura down to stand, but his hand remained on the 'Sekirei Guiardian's' neck. "MBI. What or who is that?"

Homura coughed a little before answering, "Mid Bio Informatics. Its a conglomerate based in Teito Tower in this city. It basically controls all of Tokyo. Its private army is what keeps the peace here, and not your regular police officers."

"Sekirei. Ashikabi. I've heard these words before but know nothing of what they mean. What are they?"

Homura blinked. Could this man honestly not know after having ran across the city with one in his hand the whole time? "You don't know?" Another mistake. The man pulled Homura back and again slammed him into the wall with such force the brick began to crack. That was not normal for a human. "Sekirei are special beings who are released from MBI to find their destined one; an Ashikabi. They are bonded by a kiss, linking them to one another."

"What kind of ideot do you take me for!?" The barrel of the gun was beginning to dig painfully into Homura's knee, the grunt of pain he released showed his discomfort. "Now answer the question."

"Its the truth!" Homura barked, his face leaning closer to the man, giving his own glare. "She and I are both Sekirei," he added, nodding to Akitsu. The 'scrapped' Sekirei stood passively with a bored expression. If she had any reaction to what was happening, she sure didn't show it. "We are all released from MBI to find our Ashikabi in order to take part in the sick game MBI's founder has planned for us."

"And who is the founder?"

"A mad man named Hiroto Minaka," the guardian said venomously. "A self proclaimed genuis. He plans to use us as pawns in some game, the other players being the ones who control the other sectors of the city along with other Ashikabi that have winged a Sekirei."

The man was silent, his eyes looking down as he thought over the information in his head. Homura remained still and silent, letting him go over the information he had given. He sighed when he felt the gun leave his knee, the man slowly putting it behind his back. When the hand left his neck, Homura slowly reached up and rubbed at the spot where the hand had been. He was sure it would leave a bruise. May have to wear something like a scarf for a while when he was to work at the club. Couldn't risk the guests seeing the marks and start asking questions.

He looked to Akitsu. "Is he telling the truth?"

"Yes," she answered in monotone.

Homura blinked at how quickly she had answered. "It would seem she has taken a shine to you," Homura commented, though backed up a bit when the man glared at him. "Unfortunate though that she cannot be winged."

"I'm not looking to be 'winging' anyone or anything," the man commented. "I'm just passing through. And when this heat calms down, I plan to leave this city."

Homura gave a 'hmph', which looked to irritate the man. He crossed his arms, casually leaning against the broken brick wall behind him, though he winced when he leaned on a possible growing bruise. "I hate to say it, but your actions may have gotten certain individuals attention."

"Like who?"

"The one from earlier was Mutsu, Sekirei No. 05. His Ashikabi is Mikogami Hayato, who controls the southern sector. He won't like that you managed to escape with a possible Sekirei he could have winged. The other being the very CEO of MBI, Minaka himself. He has cameras everywhere except in the northern sector and he has a staff watching at all times, monitoring the city for any abnormalities within his great plan." The man cursed, turning away from Homura and pacing past Aktisu with the girl turning in his direction as he moved, making sure he was within her eyesight. Homura couldn't stop the twitch in his eye as he saw she didn't bother to try and cover herself like she did when they had been running. Her chest was near completely exposed, the edge of her stollen coat just barelly covering them. He looked back at the man. "Look, come with me to the north. There, you can hold up. Maybe get cleaned up and she can get some clothes to wear."

He looked between the two, his shoulders sagging slightly. He pulled the hood from his head, revealing the tired look on his face to Homura. "You sure the north is secure?"

"Minaka and all other unwanted Ashikabi know better than to go there. It is guarded by the Hannaya. They won't cross her."

The man arched a curious brow, but said nothing about it. "Names." He looked to the Ice Sekirei. "Both of you."

"I am the Number Six Sekirei, Homura. Also known as the 'Sekirei Guardian'. I try to protect the young, unwinged Sekirei from unworthy Ashikabi."

Akitsu focused solely on the man. "Sekirei Number Seven, Akitsu."

Homura tilted his head. "And you?"

The man glared at Homura, but it lacked the intenseness from before. "Tenno. Hayden Tenno."

 **DSS**

The once peaceful night was lit with the blinking red and blue lights of MBI's private police force and fire fighters. They were scattered a good few blocks to try and contain the fires, managing to bring it down enough so it wouldn't spread. Not far, parked on a roof large enough for it to land, was the personal helicopter of MBI's Disciplinary Squad. The three young women that made up the squad stood at the edge of the roof, staring passively at the flames and the attempts of the men and women below trying to contain the fire. Well, two out of the three at least. This one stood back, as close to the center of the roof as she could without looking week due to her acrophobia. Her disheveled grey hair swayed slightly in the wind with the tattered dark kimono she wore, narrow eyes glaring at the edge like some arch enemy. Like most female Sekirei she had a striking figure with it completely covered in bondage-wrap. Her hands to her elbows were adorned by a pair of specialized gauntlets armed with scythe-like, barbed-tipped claws with metal bracers. They hung loosely at her sides, the tips clicking together as she waited for their leader to respond to... whatever it was she was looking for. This was Sekirei Number 104, Haihane and despite the boring situation she was currently in, she couldn't help but enjoy the cool night air.

"Stupid monkeys," commented the shortest and youngest member of the squad. She crossed her arms over her chest, just above the large red/pink sash she had tied around her black kimono-like shirt. She wore tight fitting sport shorts, allowing anyone to see the fine toned muscles of her legs, while her shirt hid the rest. Seeing the red gloves and their slightly padded nature gave her the appearance of a close quarters figher, which she was a very tallented practitioner of. Her hazel colored eyes closed, her head turning from the scene in a fit of boredom. Her pink hair was tied into a single ponytail on the left side by two daisy clips, adding to her youthful image along with a comically small 'chest'. This was Sekirei Number 105, Benitsubasa. "Wish they would hurry up already. It's just a stupid fire." She looked over to their leader, the woman standing a little bit from them while on her cell, listening to the details of their current objective which none of them knew anything about.

Karasuba, Sekirei Number 04, the only remaining member of the original Disciplinary Squads and oldest of the current one was listening to what information MBI had as to what had caused the fire. Her right hand held the phone to her ear, but the left carried her weapon of choice, a nodachi. Her attire goes back to the first generation Disciplinary Squad that female members wore; black leather top with a black miniskirt and stockings along with a brown belt that functioned more for appearances than to have an actual use. The grey haori was even from the first generation, still with the Sekirei Crest engraved onto it. And like most Sekirei it would seem her hair was gray, tied into a ponytail with matching eye color.

When Karasuba pulled the phone from her ear, she glanced at the screen, security footage playing over its screen so she could see what had started the whole mess before her. Tired looking eyes watched passively over the exchange of events from one angle to the other. Nothing too new except for the fact that the Ashikabi she watched running with No. 07 had actually used a gun to fend off another Sekirei, Mutsu. Then came Homura to interfere, which was no surprise. That at least explained the fire.

"So?" spoke Benitsubasa. "What's the deal?"

"Akitsu," she responded, flicking the phone closed and pocketing it. "The little failure isn't even out that long and is causing this much of a mess."

"So we going to deal with her?" Benitsubasa asked, a feral grin spreading on her lips as she palmed her right fist in her left hand. She then pointed over her shoulder at the scene below. "Because this is just a waste of time."

"The guy she's with, an Ashikabi." Karasuba nearly spat, not liking to have to say 'Ashikabi'. "He's headed north with Homura leading the way. They have a head start and by the time we would catch up, we'd probably run into 'her'." She turned towards the north, a fanged grin spreading. "So we better get moving before they get too far." She leapt from the roof, gracefully falling to the ground below. The minute her heel touched the concrete, she rocketed down the street.

Benitsubasa pumped a fist into the air, letting loose an excited squeal. She dashed to the edge and with a mighty boost of her legs she was in the air, sailing far before coming down on a building nearly a block away. Haihane gave chase, but decided to stick to the roofs. She had an issue moving towards that edge. She knew it wasn't that far a drop and could make it. But why risk it?

 **DSS**

Hayden didn't know what to make of the situation. He had seen some weird shit in his day, and had been 'involved' in some weird shit but this was a whole new experience. No where near as earth shattering as a possible virus outbreak or monster infestation as he had come into contact with in the past, but people with powers such as theirs? During their run to this 'safe haven' Hayden had asked Homura more questions on the subject of Sekirei. Come to find out that wall of ice that seperated him and Akitsu from the man called Mutsu and his so-called 'Ashikabi' had been formed from Akitsu herself. When he asked why she had done such a thing, she simply shrugged, and Hayden left it at that. He didn't voice it, but he could see it in her appearance. Something was wrong. He'd seen others like her in the past. Whatever that had happened was fresh; a wound that hadn't had the chance to heal. The blood on that coat was also a dead giveaway. Though dry, it still held a good shade of red, telling its age to the former CIA agent.

Homura was a different story. Hayden couldn't tell if the guy had been lying to him or not, but when the guy lit a flame from the palm of his hand, Hayden was quick to believe the guy had the power over fire. He had assumed the guy had been throwing grenades around when he had been fighting Mutsu. And to find out that man had skills and abilities of his own too? The former agent just didn't know what he had dragged himself into this time.

At his side Homura touched at the spot on his neck where Hayden had grabbed him, the familiar feeling still there. It was frightening really. He was sure he could have broken from the man's hold on him but the sudden force and sheer strength from the man had caught him off guard. Homura had nearly thought the man was a Sekirei himself. And lets not forget that little disappearing act he pulled with Akitsu. He was _actually_ invisible! And he made her invisible with him. No Sekirei had that kind of power. Sure, most had abilities that defied logic but that was unheard of.

And out of all of that Homura felt no reaction to the man. For that he was thankful for. God help him if there had been one. This Hayden Tenno his Ashikabi? He shuddered at the thought.

"Problem?"

Homura looked over, seeing a stern glare coming from the man. "Sorry. Just a bad thought is all. Nothing to worry about." Hayden let it drop from that, and looked ahead. Homura gave a sigh. The man was human but so intimidating. "So Tenno-san..."

"Look, I'm not one for honorifics," Hayden said, his hand giving a low wave at the subject. "Either Hayden, or Tenno. Either works fine with me."

"Of course, Tenno. I hope you don't mind me asking but what business do you have here in Japan? You don't strike me as the type to take root and settle down."

"Like I said, I'm just passing through." And he said nothing else to add to it.

Homura didn't like how tight lipped he was being. But everyone had secrets. And it wouldn't be much of a surprise if Hayden were to have plenty of his own. And Homura wouldn't pry. The last thing he needed was to be choked to death or shot. But that had him worrying over the safety of their third party member. Akitsu had hardly uttered a word since they had exchanged names, and she was staying close to the man as she could without down right being clingy. She probably sensed he wasn't the type to have someone so close. Homura was a little surprised. He would have never expected this of her, though her state of mind could be questioned.

Homura looked to her again, giving a gentle smile beneath his mask before looking ahead. Akitsu continued to be silent, ignoring his proding glances. It didn't bother her any. So long as she was close to her 'Ashikabi' she didn't care. Looking to the man in question though had her mind racing. What was he thinking? Where had he come from? Why was he dressed as he was? Again she never voiced any of her thoughts and just continued to stare at him, the man never bothering to look back at her. Perhaps she had chosen wrong? To let herself get swayed by the man like that must have been foolish to another observer. Maybe.

Lost in her own world, Akitsu bumped into Hayben when he stopped, Homura standing still beside the man. Hayden had turned, his hand gently resting on her arm. "You okay?" he asked, and again Akitsu felt her chest warm over. "Look a bit spaced there."

"Just tired," she answered.

"I can relate," Hayden responded before facing Homura. "How close are we?"

"Still some ways to go. But its just a straight path from here. Keep following this road to the residential area. When you come to a T-intersection you've arrived at the destination. It won't look like much, but believe me, you and your Sekirei will be safe there."

"You're not coming?"

"I have my duties to attend to. There are still plenty of Sekirei wandering about in search of their destined one." He reached into his coat, withdrawing a simple flip phone, his thumb going for the speed dial. "I'll let my associate know you are coming that way."

"She trustworthy?"

Homura smiled. "She'll treat you like one of her own. Just be sure to follow her rules. She's very stubborn when it comes to her rules being broken." And with that, Homura turned and began to walk away, the phone going to his ear.

Hayden and Akitsu just watched the flame Sekirei continue on down the road. He gave a tired sigh before facing the girl. With a shake of his head, he reached up and gently closed the front of the lab coat she wore, trying to hide her modesty as best as he could. "Definitely will need to get some new clothes." He would lend her his coat but...

Akitsu watched Hayden frown suddenly, his right hand balling into a fist before unclenching. She reached for it slowly, but he withdrew from her touch. She must have shown a hurt expression for he started to appologize. "Sorry. Just... theres this wound on my arm. It carries some bad memories and... I just have some issues with someone touching it."

"Well thats too bad!"

Hayden instinctively moved in front of Akitsu, his modified SMG in hand quicker than the ice Sekirei could blink. He pushed back, free arm snaking around Akitsu as his his SMG let out a spray of rounds before the weapon was cut in two. He dropped the remaining half he had to the ground, dodging a fist directed at him from a second assailent, feeling the padding of the glove grazing his cheek just slightly. He lashed out with a kick, rewarded with his knee colliding with the pink haired girl's side. She gave a gasp pausing in her attack, giving Hayden enough time to strike with his free hand. His fist struck home, her head snapping to the side harshly with her flying away a few feet like a ragdoll before she rolled into a crouching possition. He turned to the first attacker, the older looking woman having closed the distance nearly as fast as he could blink before a wall of jagged ice came up to impale her. She easly leapt over it and them both to easly land next to the other girl. The pinkette looked to be seething, her hand reaching for the spot Hayden had struck her.

Benitsubasa growled, her fists clenching tightly. "You damned monkey!" She couldn't belive the embarressment. He had actually managed to not only dodge her strike, but had not once but twice landed a blow onto her! HER! She would not let this go unpunished.

Karasuba gave a small smirk. "Well, seems like this little Ashikabi has some moves." She glanced at her subordinate. "Did he hit you that hard, Benitsubasa?"

She wouldn't admit it but it did hurt. Not enough to slow her down but she wasn't expecting it. Not from a human. Even her jaw was throbbing. "Hardly," she lied, standing straighter now.

Hayden looked between the two oddly dressed women before turning his head slightly to Akitsu, the girl still holding a bored expression on her face but the slight shift in her eyes to what passed as a glare said she was ready to fight. "You know them?"

She pointed to the one carrying a sword. "Karasuba, Sekirei No. 04," she answered. She pointed over to second one, pausing for the longest before saying, "I don't know the washboard."

"WHAT WAS THAT!?" cried Benitsubasa, a slight vein popping on her forehead out of pure rage. To the side came hysterical laughter as Haihane stepped into the light... well staggered mostly. She was laughing so hard she could hardly walk straight. "YOU SHUT UP!" shouted the pinkette, her anger now focused on the third arrival.

Ignoring the current display Hayden asked, "Who are they?"

"MBI's Disciplinary Squad," Akitsu answered.

"Homura mentioned them." Another discussion they had when walking to the safe zone. Hayden had asked who the Disciplinary Squad was and had given a mild discription of a team that dealt with any Sekirei trying to escape the city or those who acted against the Sekirei plan. And that they wouldn't hesitate to kill.

Karasuba took a step forward, a predatory glint in her eye. "You two have caused quite a bit of a mess tonight," she said, eyeing the Ashikabi. She knew a fighter when she saw one, and seeing his movements just a second ago confirmed that he was no ordinary human. Had Benitsubasa not alerted him to their attack, they would have had the jump on him. But the minute he felt threatened he had acted faster than she had predicted. "Shooting another Ashikabi isn't in the rules of the plan, you know."

"Wasn't my intention," Hayden answered. Akitsu had tried to step forward but he held her back, his left arm blocking her movements. It bothered him a little that she seemed hell bent to protect him. He didn't need it.

"Still, can't have someone running around willing to shoot the compition before the games start."

"Sorry to say, but I'm not playing in this game your nut-job of a boss has planned."

"You either play, or die." She gave a tired shrug. "Doesn't matter either way, you still die in the end." Karasuba reached for her sword, only to jump back when Akitsu threw her arm up, launching a half dozen of ice shards her way. The dark Sekirei quickly drew her sword, cutting them down with ease before evading another wave fired at her.

Akitsu circled Hayden, charging at the the No. 04 Sekirei. In the rules of combat between Sekirei, it was proper edicat to introduce your name and number before battle. But this was no ordinary fight. So Akitsu didn't feel oblidged to do so. The woman grinned evily, sword ready to strike the ice girl down till she jumped into the air, ice spears flung from the sleeves of her stollen coat. Karasuba again cut the shards away, her blade becoming nothing more than a blur. She charged towards Akitsu, intended to cut the girl down when she landed, but she had other ideas, sweeping her arm up to form a wall of jagged ice that would have impaled Karasuba if she hadn't had leapt over the ice and its creator.

While the two single numbers were battling Benitsubasa took this moment and charged the mysterious Ashikabi, who remained in place but looking ready to fight. To her this would be a quick victory. He was just a human after all. A lowly monkey to her. She wouldn't be caught off guard again. So imagine her surprise when she swung her fist, intended to take his head off in a single strike, and he blocked it. He had stepped in, his left arm coming up and blocking her blow with ease. Quickly following was a sharp jab to her face, and three quick blows to her mid section which left her winded. WINDED! And with a quick elbow blow to finish the combo, she was knocked off her feet rolling back a few feet before ending up in a kneeling position. The spots where she was hit stung, and she wanted to sneeze from the blow to her face. This was twice she was pushed back from the little monkey! How was this possible? There was no way a normal human could fight that fast. And looking at him from where she kneeled, she could see him ready for a second round, arms up and waiting for her next attack.

But it was Haihane who attacked next, the laid back Sekirei rushing in with her metal claws splayed out. She came in with a downward swipe of her right claw, the Ashikabi leaning away from the strike. Her left came forward in order to stab him in the chest, but he ducked below the thrust, catching her arm and in an impressive display of a Judo flip, took Haihane off her feet, over his own body and onto her back. The blow actually caused the concrete to crack a bit, and leaving Haihane gasping for breath. She was saved from the man when Benitsubasa came in for another shot at the Ashikabi, her battle cry echoing in the empty street. She was hell bent on getting him back for beating her earlier, evident by how she was increasing her attack speed. Haihane was surprised though when she noticed the man was keeping up, the two exchanging blows that were either blocked or countered. Benitsubasa was proficient, that was a given, but this man fought with experience and the proficiency of a veteran fighter by getting inside her wide swings so she had no way of blocking. Benitsubasa would use her smaller frame to weave around him to land a blow, but he was fast enough to block, allowing some of her stronger blows to push him back from her reach. Haihane, fed up with watching, got up and charged into the fight.

Akitsu dodged a swipe from Karasuba, the dark Sekirei grinning while she attempted to cut down her 'sister'. The Ice Sekirei looked to Hayden, shocked to see him fighting the other two Disciplinary Squad members. Not that he was fighting them but doing so on even ground. And both at the same time. Even Karasuba had paused in their fight to look at how the Ashikabi was fairing, and would never admit she was slightly impressed. Her squadmates were no pushovers, especially for a human. So to see one facing her subordinates and not be cut to pieces or pummeled into mud was not something to shrug off. "Looks like you picked a good one," she commented as she swung her blade, a gust of wind following up that whipped Akitsu's coat wildly as she avoided the strike. "He doesn't seem like the other weak Ashikabi that are running around!" With a cry she swung up, the blade passing so close to Akitsu, it cut away the last few buttons of her coat, exposing her front side completely.

Akitsu ignored her state of near undress, putting her hand to the ground to unleash a wave of ice that forced Karasuba away. But that wasn't her intention. The ice continued on till it sprung up into shards by Haihane that forced her to back off of Hayden. Taking advantage, Hayden spun around, snatching off a piece of the ice to use as an impromptu club. He brought the weapon down on Benitsubasa, the girl blocking with her forearm. It broke across her arm, but the boot to her gut from Hayden sent her rolling back. Turning he threw the rest of the ice club in Karasuba's direction. The dark Sekirei didn't even turn when she blindly cut the ice away, but pausing in her fight with Akitsu she drew out her phone with a sneer on her face. Even Hayden could hear it vibrating from his position. It was almost like a beakon for Haihane and Benitsubasa, both quickly moving to their leader's side while Akitsu rushed over to Hayden's.

Whatever was said ove the phone, Karasuba looked visibly irritated and angry, the sword in her hand shaking slightly from controlled rage. Akitsu would worry about it later. Turning to face Hayden she held back the urge to blush as he was quick to look her over, finding no harm done to her body, though the labcoat looked worse than when he first met her. One sleeve was gone and nearly all the buttons were gone. She hadn't noticed. But there were no cuts, or bruises. Hayden though had a few close calls that had been missed in the melee with the two Sekirei. A slight cut to his chin and one above his left eye. But nothing else.

"Hey!"

Hayden looked to the three as a phone flew through the air towards him. His hand reached out and the phone looked drawn to it instantly but no one from either party aside Hayden noticed it. He held the device in his right hand, hesitant at first but slowly rose it to his ear as he stared at the three Sekirei, Karasuba looking the most displeased. Benitsubasa continued to glare at him, her arms crossed over her chest. Haihane just... stood there, the one eye visible looking around as if she was bored. "Yes?" Hayden asked over the phone.

" _Why hello there, Mr. Mystery Ashikabi!_ " cried an overly energetic male voice that made Hayden want to cut off his own ears. " _It is a pleasure to talk with you! Sorry for the delay, was asleep really. Didn't know all this surprising entertainment was going off..._ "

"Who the hell is this?" Hayden demanded, already growing tired of the man's voice.

" _Oh my, so rude_!" The man on the other end didn't sound the least bit insulted. " _But its to be expected from an outsider such as yourself. Must say, the minute we got your image on camera we've been trying to run facial matches and to be honest we've come up with nothing! At least in Japan. We're currently running matches in other countries, but it would do us such a favor if you would be kind enough to give us a name._ "

"Who. Is This."

" _Oh that's right, forgive my manners. My name is Hiroto Minaka._ _The Game Master, if you will, and CEO of MBI._ "

Hayden looked to the three Sekirei. "You work for this guy?"

"Not like we want to," Haihane said waving at a small bug that flew in front of her face.

" _Now about that name..._ _hello?_ "

Hayden wasn't listening. He was quickly looking around them till he spotted at least five different security cameras. Each one aimed in their direction. "Akitsu," he said, getting the Sekirei's undevided attention. "How good is your aim?"

Akitsu followed his line of sight. Understanding immediately what he was getting at she let loose an ice dagger for each camera in quick succession. Each one landed their mark, destroying the cameras with a shard of ice through the lens.

" _Hey! That wasn't very nice at all! Those cameras aren't cheap you know. Now about that name..._ "

"Save it," Hayden said. "I'm not playing any game, especially not one like the one I've heard about."

" _Oh but you see you have no choice! Becoming an Ashikabi, you have no other choice but to participate._ "

"And why is that?"

" _If you don't, I just may be forced to shut down No. 07 there. Or at least have her transfered over to another Ashikabi that would be willing to take her in even with her current condition._ "

Akitsu took a slight step back when she noticed Hayden's expression darken. "Shut down?" Hayden questioned, looking to the Ice Sekirei.

" _That's right. Each Sekirei has a shut down system and if they_ _were_ _to_ _ever escape the city or broke any of my rules, they drop at the push of a button._ " Hayden wasn't sure what he hated most. The fact he had such a system placed inside living beings, or the fact he sounded so smug and giddy over it. " _So, that name._ "

Hayden's right eye twitched. "Tenno," was his answer, before promptly crushing the phone in his hand, the remains falling to the ground at his side. It was only a few seconds later he could hear some cheery J-pop song coming from behind Haihane, the bored Sekirei giving a sigh before drawing out her own phone. She got odd looks from her squadmates before the girl sighed and tossed the phone to Hayden, the man giving a growl when he caught it out of the air as the Sekirei said 'keep it' and turned to walk away. "What?" he answered, already long since knowing who it was.

" _Again so rude! You must have some very deep seeded anger issues Tenno-_ _san_ _. Any chance we can get more of your name?_ "

"How about you come and ask for it face to face? Maybe I'll give it then."

" _Oh, as tempting as it is to see you face to face, after watching you face not one but two Sekirei at the same time, I think I'll pass. Which asks even more questions about you, Tenno-san._ _But that all aside, we'll talk again when I've gotten more rest. I've ordered the Disciplinary Squad to return to base so you are free to go. Keep the phone. I'll be in touch._ "

To his word, the three other Sekirei were slowly walking away, opposite of the direction Hayden and Akitsu were taking to the north. Of course Benitsubasa glared at him, a finger dragged across her own throat before pointing at him to make it known she would get him another time. Hayden paid it no mind. He stood silently with the burner phone in hand before it too was crushed in his grip, the remains grinding almost into a powder in his grip before released into the wind. A part of him felt sorry for those three if they were subjugated to a man like that Minaka. And then there were the ones like Akitsu. "Is it true?" he asked, looking to the girl.

She was silent before giving a nod. "Yes."

"So at the push of a button he could kill you?" She gave a nod, and that seemed to incease his building rage meter. His left hand dragged across his own face, fingers rubbing at his temples before dropping back down to his side. "What have I gotten myself into now?"

And with a boom of thunder over head to signal the downpour that was to come, Hayden's shoulders drooped a little. Tonight was just not his night.

 **DSS**

The click of heels in a quick paced, frustrated march echoed in the hall as one Sahashi Takami made her way towards Minaka's office with one cancer stick stuck firmly between her lips which made up part of her scowl. The bandage over her eye only added to her intimidating look. It wasn't long ago she had finally gotten to sleep when she had recieved word of a fight breaking out in the city involving not only a few Sekirei but a possible Ashikabi. Said Ashikabi had actually used a weapon on a Sekirei and their Ashikabi, before fleeing on foot with No. 07. Following that, a fight broke out with a block engulfed in fire thanks to Homura and his attempts to safeguard the two newly joined pair. What agitated her though was that Minaka allowed the Ashikabi to remain in possession of Akitsu instead of brining him in for his actions.

The moment she shoved his office doors open, the man stood at his full hight, white cape on... over a pair of striped sleeping pajamas. Her eye twitched and the tick in her forehead seemed to grow larger at the sight of him. She herself had at least the decency to get dressed in working pants and clean blouse under her lab coat. This fool only threw on a cape. But she knew the man more than anyone, and was sure he probably slept in it. As she approached, he greeted her as normal, arms out as if to embrace her and shouting of a sweet nickname for her, till she grabbed the front of his pajama top and shoved him face first onto the table. "You ideot. What have you done now?"

"Why, Takami my sweet," he said, shrinking slightly at the intense glare she gave him, arms folded beneath her breasts with one finger tapping impatiently on her arm. "Whatever do you mean?"

"You didn't capture him," she said bluntly. "He assaulted another Ashikabi."

"Hardly against the rules."

"With a gun."

"...I see your point. But things are cleared up and we won't have another incident like that again. Plus!" He turned and went to his computer, bringing up what looked to be a video file. "He will bring something most interesting to the plan."

Takami glared at the man as he stepped aside, the glare from his glasses hiding that sick glee in his eyes that made her want to gouge them out. Pressing play, she saw nothing unusual till she spotted Akitsu being led by the Ashikabi in question. They ducked into an alley, but not far enough to be out of view. Her eyes narrowed when the Sekirei was gently pulled into an embrace... Her eyes widened the second the two vanished into thin air. The image remained, even after Mutsu and Homura came past in a battle that Takami found herself ignoring. When the fight ended, and Mutsu left, Homura stood at the entrance of the alley, and paused when the man and Akitsu reappeared, the two holding a brief conversation before all three turned and ran.

"What..."

"Wait," Minaka said sickly, his grin growing. "There's more."

She watched on, the footage following them till they stopped, Homura parting ways with them and leaving the two alone. It was only a minute or so later that they were attacked by two members of the Disciplinary Squad, and the Ashikabi had performed an evasion that no normal man could have done against a Sekirei of Karasuba's caliber. She watched on as the combat continued with the Ashikabi not only fending off Benitsubasa but Haihane in hand to hand combat! And though she wasn't a fighter herself, Takami could see the man was skilled. And not just in one on one fights. He knew how to handle himself against numbers, demonstrated by how he would go back and forth between the two Sekirei. They would get a hit or two in but he would continue on, demonstrating he had experience in a fight. For a human against a Sekirei, it was unheard of.

The head scientist leaned back when the ice shuriken struck the camera, killing the feed. Turning to Minaka, pointing at the screen she said, "And you did nothing?"

"I welcomed him to the Sekirei Plan," the self proclaimed game master said, stepping back from the woman. "Though he seemed very hesitant. Couldn't imagine why."

"He is not normal."

"I noticed! Isn't it interesting? This Tenno-san is showing to be a very entertaining fellow."

Takami blinked. "You have his name?"

"That I do," Minaka said joyfully. "And less," he added as he typed onto the computer. "The moment our people saw his actions, we began to try and do a facial matching. Only to find nothing within our country. Extending our search however..." his finger tapped the last key, and he again leaned back.

On the screen were various images, some too blurred but some came close to the image of the man they called Tenno. Last was what looked like a dossier littered with nothing but lines of black ink. "This file is incomplete," she said as it looked to cut off.

"That's because it came from a CIA filing system."

"You hacked into North America's CIA files!?"

"...yes?" A swift punch to his gut had the mad game master doubling over with a coughing fit. "Why..."

"You are a complete ideot! Breaking into their private systems is just asking for an investigation that could tear us down. And with the Sekirei unleashed into the city and no longer under our complete control, we would not win this fight."

"Don't worry, my sweetness," he said, ducking away from another punch. "We took extra precautions and covered our tracks before we were hit with any proxies. If anything, they were cut off at one of our backdoors in Germany."

"You are dumber than I ever thought you were. This has got to be..."

"It matters not!" he cried, a dramtic turn and flap of his cape. "The plan will continue as it should. One little wild card added to the mix won't change a thing!" Lightening flashed in the night sky as he took a dramatic pose.

"That one little wild card is capable of turning invisible and can fight on par with a highly trained Sekirei." Takami said, arms folding just beneath her breasts. "You may have quite possibly allowed something in that could ruin everything."

 **DSS**

Hayden stared at the rain from the shelter made of ice, curtousy of Akitsu's special abilities. A simple dome with an opening hastily constructed between two buildings. Said Sekirei sat to the back of the shelter, knees to her partially exposed chest with her arms wrapped around them. Hayden was sure it wasn't from the cold. She didn't even give a single shake. Still...

Hayden approached the Sekirei, partially removing his coat so it still covered his right arm. "Care to trade?" he asked, failing to fit in a humorous tone. Her eyes locked into his, never wavering. "That one isn't covering up very much."

Akitsu looked at the tattered lab coat. She hadn't even really noticed. "Sure." She stood, bare feet patting the cold water of the rain. She removed the coat, watching curiously as Hayden took it. She slid on the trench coat, pulling it tightly around her shapely form. Having it on her, she took in Hayden's scent more clearly. The coat carried his smell, along with dust and a bit of the sun. It also carried the smell of gun powder and looking at the inside where it was patched, she could see what she guessed may have been bullet holes. Turning back to Hayden, her jaw dropped but a fraction when she took in his... attire. It wasn't like any suit she had seen, though by its design it was made for combat. It was gun metal in color with touches of steel and blue. Her ruined lab coat was wrapped tightly around his right arm, his glove covered hand the only thing still revealed. "Thank you, Tenno-sama."

Hayden tightened the wrap around his arm before looking to the Sekirei. "You don't have to call me that," he said. Looking down, he grimaced. It had been some time since he had exposed the suit to the open like this. He was thankful though he had Akitsu remove any more cameras in the area before setting up the shelter. The last thing he needed was that Minaka hounding him with questions, or worse sending his personal Disciplinary Squad to drag him in. He'd give them a hell of a fight though.

Thinking back on the fight he had earlier, he groaned a bit in discomfort. He was sure his suit buffered some of that girl's blows but it didn't mean he could ignore them. He could only imagine there being heavy bruising beneath. He shouldn't have underestimated her due to her size. She was young, highly inexperienced but her punches were like being kicked by a mule. It was only by his training that Hayden stayed on top of the fight, even when her friend joined in. He was damn close to using the glaive to even the odds. Still thinking on the fight, he looked to Akitsu. "You did well back there," he commented. "Back in the fight. You held that one with the sword off pretty well. Mind if I ask who trained you?"

"I wasn't trained," Akitsu answered flatly, her eyes still focused on her Ashikabi.

"Never trained?" Hayden asked, a little surprised. She nodded her head. "Could have fooled me."

"It was all instinct," she answered.

"Is that how the other learned to fight?" he asked, crossing his arms. "That explains how the little one was able to fight, yet not know _how_ to fight." He turned his attention outside as a flash of lightening cracked the sky. "The one with the sword was different though," he remarked as he looked back to Akitsu. "She had experience."

"She's been a part of the previous Disciplinary Squads and had fought several times before."

"Fought who?"

Akitsu shook her head. "I'm not sure. I do know MBI and we Sekirei have been targeted before."

Hayden was sure he knew by who. When he was still part of the CIA, he had come across reports about US battle ships being relocated to an unknown location. Nothing big; a small contingent that could be over looked. But that was years ago. But could the Sekirei truly be strong enough to stand against battle ships and trained soldiers? "I doubt it was just her though."

"There were others. Mutsu was one."

Hayden sighed. "Why am I not surprised." The man did carry a sword like Karasuba. "Wonder if its manditory to carry a weapon in the group." Akitsu just shrugged. He was about to ask her more, needing to learn as much as he could about the situation he had gotten himself into, but a cry echoing in the barren streets drew his attention away.

Akitsu stood, hearing the cry as well, along with a sense washing over her. "An unwinged Sekirei is close by." She looked to Hayden and again he surprised her. Flaps made of the same armor he wore rose from his shoulders and back, closing on his head like a flower would when closing its petals. Gone was the image of a man, replaced by armor with a mask with no eyes and a stubbed horn that was bone white. She had almost missed him saying 'Stay here' before he disappeared in a wave of blue static. A second later she could just barely make out his silhohette in the rain as he moved, his feet splashing as he ran towards the source of the scream.

 **DSS**

Sekirei No. 84 Yashima thought she had the worst luck that could befall any living being. Not only had she been unsuccessful of finding her destined Ashikabi, but she had been chased by a monster of a man who wished to forcefully wing her. And during the chase, it had begun to rain. Her string of bad luck didn't end there, as she had slipped when running from the man, her prized hammer lost in the fall and out of her reach. She didn't get the chance to stand, to run. He was on her, forcing her on her back with her arms pinned. No, she didn't want this. She didn't want this Ashikabi. She tried to turn away from those small, beedy eyes that had no sign of compassion in them. She could feel those eyes looking her over, screaming that bad things were to come to her...

The weight was gone in an instant. His hands were away from her wrists as she again felt the rain washing on her as his body was gone. Confused she looked up to see just the dark sky, lightening cracking briefly. She looked down, her jaw dropping in shock. The Ashikabi was held in the air, feet dangling fruitlessly in an attempt to touch the ground. His hands reached for something at the front of his neck but for the life of her, Yashima couldn't see anything. Looking closer though, she noticed the rain was hitting something that wasn't there. She then finally noticed that there WAS something there. The rain was making an outline of a person, one who was holding the Ashikabi by the throat. The invisible person pulled back and then thrust the Ashikabi forward. He sailed the short distance to collide with the brick wall, his body going limp as he sunk to the ground.

Yashima just stared at the Ashikabi, only turning when she took notice of a flicker of blue light. She squeeked when she saw the strangely armored man turn towards her, his helmet opening like flower pettals to reveal a man with black hair and matching eyes.

"You okay?" he asked.

Yashima just stared, ignoring the storm that was beating down on them. She was still trying to grasp what she had just seen. The man approached, kneeling down just at her feet. She scooted slightly back at his approach, but he held his hands up in surrender. She looked back to the still unconscience Ashikabi and then back to the man. Her jaw trembled slightly.

Before Hayden knew what was happening, the girl had rushed him, tears mingling with the rain as she bawled in his shoulder. To be painfully honest he had never been in such a situation before so he awkwardly patted her back. Her grip tightened and Hayden was a little surprised by her strength, but looking to the large hammer near by told him everything he needed to know. But if she was so strong, why didn't she fight back? He glanced over at the... man. It felt sick even calling him such a thing. He was alive, evidence by his groans of pain and the slight twitch of his foot. Perhaps it was a built in programming done by MBI. To make Sekirei weak when in the presence of an Ashikabi. Would make them easy prey for a winging. The thought of that made Hayden growl.

"Tenno-sama."

Hayden to jump from Akitsu's sudden arrival, the girl kneeling next to them. He simply turned to her, seeing her eyes move from him to the crying girl. He let out a sigh, moving to stand but finding it slightly difficult with the girl clinging to him. So instead he put his arms under her and lifted. She wasn't even that heavy. Still, to have the strength to lift that hammer and only weigh so little? Everything he learned in school growing up was slowly, little by little being thrown out the window. "Hey, its okay," he said to the girl, her sobs dying down. "He's not going to hurt you. Not anymore."

Yashima looked up into the man's face. She felt her cheeks warm slightly, and turned away in embarressment to see Akitsu, the ice Sekirei just staring with a passive expression. "Um... hello," she said, looking directly into the eyes of her fellow Sekirei. She wiggled down from Hayden's arms, her blush still remaining as she walked over to grab her hammer. Taking it in one hand, she lifted it up and rested the weapon on her shoulder. She studied the two, and when it finally dawned on her who the pair were, she shrunk a little, both hands gripping the hammer. "Your and Ashikabi and a Sekirei, aren't you?"

"Yes," Akitsu answered quickly.

"Not by choice," Hayden said, turning to the down Ashikabi. He was sure if he still had his gun he'd put a bullet in his head. But the last thing he needed was to start leavin a trail of bodies now. Especially since MBI had his face and name. "But don't worry, I'm not like this guy. I have no plans forcing any winging."

Yashima visibly relaxed at Hayden's statement. She gave a bow, hammer held tightly to her so it wouldn't fall over. "I am Sekirei Number 84, Yashima."

"Sekirei Number 07, Akitsu." She pointed to Hayden before he could respond and said, "Tenno-sama."

"I told you to drop the honorifics," Hayden said. "Either Hayden, or Tenno." He looked to Yashima. "The same for you."

The three stood awkwardly with the rain beating down on them. Hayden kept glaring at the down Ashikabi, while both Sekirei stared at him. And the longer Yashima stared at him, the more something began to swell within her. It was probably just the scene before her. The way he stood in the rain, back straight, shoulders back. The rain didn't matter to him. The suit, or armor, he wore aided in this image that was building in her mind. He had rescued her from a forced winging, easily defeating the Ashikabi who assaulted her. And now he stood over the fallen Ashikabi. It looked so much like the movies she and the others had watched back on the island. But he was a bit older than the ones she had seen. By Japanese terms, she should think of him as an old man, maybe? But his stance showed he was still full of youth. And his strength! For a human, holding another grown male up by the throat with one hand was no an easy feet. And how was he able to turn invisible? Was he... a super hero!?

Yashima swooned slightly, her breath catching. She remembered watching the shows with colorful characters who would scream ' _Henshin!'_ before changing to fight monsters. Though she doubted he had a giant robot somewhere. She took a tentative step forward, her grip tightening on her hammer. Was she reacting? To him!? Her pulse was racing now as she thought over his actions, brief as they were, and thought over the super heros she had watched on TV. To have an Ashikabi as a super hero...

Akitsu said nothing as she watched Yashima approach her Ashikabi. Hayden was far too fixed on the man slumped against the wall. He was probably decided whether he should end him or not. Must have been hard because he was staring a hole right into him. But who could blame him? And as Yashima drew closer to Hayden, the signs ever present that she was reacting to him, Akitsu couldn't rightfully bring herself to turn away, as much as it pained her to watch. Slowly Yashima rested the hammer on the ground, letting it stand on its own as she moved closer. The thunk on the wet concrete drew his attention, and Hayden turned in time for Yashima to reach him, her eyes glazed over. A confused Hayden found the tiny, strong girl pull him down to her level, lips connecting in the rain. Bright wings instantly sprung forth as the connection was made, and a very surprised Hayden was frozen in shock, with a slightly aching Akitsu watching on with her arms tightly pulling his coat closer to her. The moment it ended, Yashima's wings faded and she gave her pledge to the awe-struck Ashikabi. No longer than a second later, the rain abruptly stopped. Ashikabi nor newly winged Sekirei looked fast enough, but Akitsu did. Looking to the sky, she saw the clouds were gone, forced away by something. Squinting her eyes she just barely made out a shape falling from the sky, falling in the direction they were needed to head to.

 **DSS**

Hayden had no idea what to say as he marched on down the road. To his left was Akitsu, the girl silent as ever and occasionally passing a glance in his direction. That bugged him. To his right however was his newest problem. Yashima blushed furiously with a big smile on her face as she walked painfully close by his side, the girl also chancing a glance at him before turning away, her cheeks seeming to grow a darker shade of red. That bugged him as well. This kind of attention would have been great during his high school days. Hell, college. But a man in his situation doesn't exactly have the time or patience to deal with a woman, let alone two. Not to mention one looks young enough to be his sister and the other possibly his own daughter... he felt really old all of a sudden.

Looking to the sky, his mind wandered onto what had happened to the weather. So fixated on Yashima and her wings... he may never get over that... he never saw what happened to the rain or the clouds themselves. By the shape of the clouds when he had looked up, they had been dispersed. Nearly in a perfect circle. But what could possibly do that? But thinking onto the two Sekirei on either side of him, he wouldn't be surprised if there was one that controlled the weather at this point.

Akitsu stared over at Yashima, the girl giggling happily to herself. It hurt seeing the winging. More so with an Ashikabi she had claimed to be her own. In a normal situation it wouldn't matter, and she would be fine with it. But with her predicament, it was near painful.

"Hey."

She looked up to Hayden, seeing a worried expression in his eyes. She couldn't help the blush when he asked, "Are you ok?"

She turned to hide her blush. "Yes, Tenno-sama." She let slip a smile when he again reminded her to not call him that. "Of course, Tenno-sama." He growled.

Finally arriving at the destination Homura had given, Hayden couldn't help but think he was duped. He expected some form of fortification, with high walls and tight security. What stood before him was a simple, near traditional two level style Japanese apartment complex. The wooden walls barely went over his head and there was no secruity of any kind. There was even a welcome mat at the door and a sign saying, _'Izumo Inn: Vacancy'_.

"This is it," Akitsu said.

Hayden groaned. "Are you sure?" She nodded. He sighed.

Yashima looked back and forth, taking in the complex. "It looks really nice though," she said.

"Nice isn't what we need," Hayden said, crossing his arms. He was going to say more as he turned to the girl, but paused when he took in her state of dress. The rain had ended yes, but Yashima was still drenched head to toe, though she acted as if it didn't bother her. Looking to Akitsu, he could see his jacket hadn't survived that much from the rain either. With a sigh of defeat, Hayden approached the door. Before he could even raise his hand to touch the buzzer, the door opened.

Judging by the style of the complex, Hayden had expected an elderly woman to greet them. Imagine his surprise when a woman probably only a few years younger than himself appeared. She was slender, though shapely with fair skin and brown eyes. She had waist-length purple hair with shorter bangs in a hime style with a white ribbon to partially hold her hair in place. Her attire was traditional much like the building; a miko consisting out of a purple hakama, white haori with a sash-like belt. She stepped out, making sure not to step out into any puddle that may have formed from the rain. A warm smile which Hayden imagined a mother would give to her child graced her face. She raised a tentative hand to her mouth. "Oh my," she said, looking the three over. "So many guests tonight." She gave a short bow, hands held together at the front. "Please, come in. And welcome to the Izumo Inn."

To Be Continued...

After so many unneeded complaints about my spelling errors, I went back to try and fix the most of them. The next thing I know, I'm extending this chapter from 5,000 words to near 15,000. Hell of a jump. Now that I got this out of my system I can focus on the others. Till next time.


	2. Chapter 2

I own nothing.

 **Dark Sector Sekirei**

 **Chapter 02**

Asama Miya hadn't expected much to happen in the late ours of the night, going on to the early morning. Example: an Ashikabi and his Sekirei falling from the sky and into her backyard. The young man and girl had been very kind though, apologizing many, many times for the disturbance, but she wouldn't send them away. Not till they were properly cleaned and the injuries the boy sustained from the fall was patched up. She had to admit to herself, it felt like a mother tending to her children. She was disciplined enough though to hide the blush when that thought came to mind. And not shortly after tending to them and letting them go on their way, did they return. And asked for a room to move in to no less! Miya was thrilled to have tenants in her inn, and had accepted their stay. And before any of that she got a call from another tenant; one who was out performing their 'second job' of the night with the un-winged Sekirei. Homura had informed Miya of the approaching Ashikabi, warning her though that he was not by any means normal. He almost mentioned that he wouldn't be hard to miss.

And true to his word, a strange and tall man in an odd near form fitting full body suit was at her door with not one but two Sekirei. Being the Number 01 Sekirei herself, she had control of her senses when it came to the younger ones. The taller one with the torn jacket was by no means a winged Sekirei. If anything it broke her heart knowing that the poor little bird had suffered, and could not be winged by the Ashikabi she stood beside. She admired her willingness to stand by him though, even with an actual winged Sekirei at his other side. A bit younger, and full of innocent energy. How either one ended up in the care of the man with a face etched in a stony scowl was beyond her, but fate and love work in strange ways.

Being traditional she would have made him remove his shoes at the door, as is custom, but considering the boots he wore were in fact part of the… armor?... he wore she allowed it to slide so long as he cleaned them before entering. He did his best, apologizing and promising to make up for any mess he made. His tone was stern but she believed in his words. Before they could speak though, she asked him to wait in the dining room while she put the two girls in the bath to get properly cleaned, and to take their dirty and wet clothes. A short time after doing just that, she returned after leaving a pair of robes for them to change into till their clothes were done. Well, Yashima's clothes. Miya would have to look through her own clothes for Akitsu to wear. The girl had hardly a thing on. And it was hard to pry that dirty and worn jacket from her, forcing Miya to promise not to throw it out in order to calm the Ice Sekirei down.

Now, Miya sat alone with the Ashikabi, the man taking up a proper kneeling position on the opposite side of the table as she poured herself a cup of tea. She had offered him a cup, but he politely refused. Now in the light of the room, she could clearly see his facial features, trying hard to focus on them and not his arm. It didn't seem to bother him and it didn't look to be wounded from her perspective so she didn't ask questions. But back to his face, she could see some Japanese heritage in him. From the sharp edges of his eyes to his hair, though it surprised her that he had a few streaks of gray in them for someone so young. But the English in his blood stood proud with that square jaw of his. His stature a well. Broad shoulders ever dominate with that odd suit he wore. She could read him easily, and at the same time he was a closed book. He stared directly at her, eyes never wandering to where they shouldn't. Miya knew she was attractive, and at times when sweeping the front matt at the door, some men would look with that certain gaze. She would return a gaze of her own though, and they would run in fear. She repressed a giggle at that memory.

He was obviously in fit condition. The suit hid much and revealed more than what it probably should have. A soldier most likely. She doubted that those curves on his arms and chest were padding. That was muscle underneath that odd suit. Had she never known the joys of true love, she probably would find it enticing, much like others she knew if they ever saw him. His hair was long and in dire need of a cut. Proof being that it just looked so uneven. Even teenagers with their strangely styled hair these days kept theirs in better shape. Dark circles hung under his eyes, telling Miya he didn't sleep much. Homura said he was armed when they met yet she didn't see a weapon on him. And there was no place he could hide it. Had she seen it herself she probably would have either told him to relinquish it or leave. Barbaric weapons such as a gun would not be permitted in her household. She would question him later on the subject.

He continued to stare at her. Perhaps she had lingered too long in her observations and gently lifted the cup to her lips, taking a quiet sip. "I'm sure you have some questions," Miya started. He was no child. Well, in comparison to her he would be, but to a normal being he was an adult. Better to treat him as such instead of hiding information from a boy like the one currently sleeping on the floor above. "But please, lets re-introduce ourselves." She bowed slowly. "Asama Miya."

Hayden followed the example so as not to be rude, and bowed in turn. "Hayden Tenno." He had wondered when she would start. She had been staring at him for so long, he felt his skin begin to burn. He couldn't place it but there was an odd aura about her. "And I do have questions, Mrs. Asama."

Miya smiled coyly, hand resting on her lips. "Oh my. How do you know I'm married?"

"The ring."

Miya paused, smile faltering slightly.

"You wear it still, even though I assume you are a widow."

Miya's smile dropped completely, but not so much to seem threatening. More neutral in fact. "Please, Tenno-san, what makes you think I'm a widow?"

"Please," Hayden said with a slight wave of his right hand. "Honorifics are not needed with me. Hayden or Tenno will do."

"Very well, Tenno. My question, please."

"It was when we met at the door and entered your home," he said, glancing to the staircase that lead to the second floor. The girls were just down the hall from the stairs in the bath, something that sounded relaxing to the tired former CIA agent. The bath at least. His mood didn't have room for elicited thoughts. "Your husband wasn't there to greet us, nor is he here with you now."

"He could be away on business."

"Possibly, but no," Hayden stated flatly. "When it comes to a married woman bringing in guests, she tends to mention her husband almost immediately. Usually to let them know he is around, is gone and will return, or that she isn't single. You did none of the above." He looked to the hall from which they had come from. "I did see a few photos though. You both looked happy. I'm sorry for your loss."

Miya had to admit he was good at his own observations. He either did it as a hobby or was trained. During her time with MBI she knew of the security detail that had been allowed on the island. Some were well trained and observant just like Hayden was. But who trained him was the question. His appearance, the clothes, and just this little bit of a conversation told her that he had been part of some armed forces in the past, but given his disheveled appearance now said he was on the run. But from who and for how long was the question. She closed her eyes, her smile returning. "Thank you. You are correct, he has passed on. He died some years ago. I hope you don't find me rude, I don't wish to talk about it."

"Of course," he said with a nod, eyes locking back on to the woman. "I won't pry. We do however have other things to discuss."

"Yes. We do." She took one more sip of her tea and sat it down. "What would you like to know, Tenno?"

 **DSS**

"There are some things I'd like to know as well, fufufu."

Hidden away in a room few knew existed, a single solitary figure sat surrounded by various computer screens and electrical instruments. On at least three of those screens she could see Miya with the knew arrival, the man sitting across from her who showed no room for games after the short bit of banter between him and the landlady. A pair of round glasses reflected the light back, hiding her hazel colored eyes. Red hair stretched past the small of her back with twin braided pigtails on either side, all of which pooled onto the pillow she currently sat on as she watched her monitors. With a single twitch of her fingers, one monitor shifted to the outside view, keeping a close lookout for anything that remotely looked like MBI. Another switched over, the view to the bathroom fogged over from steam, but she could still see the blurry movement of creamy skin being washed by the two Sekirei that were in there. The last monitor switched from room to room till it landed on the one with two occupants. The boy and his Sekirei who had arrived earlier. She frowned when she saw there was no hanky-panky going on. Dull in her opinion. That was the taste though for Sekirei No. 02, Matsu.

Looking back to the main screens she watched the landlady and the strange man continue to talk. Well, him asking questions and Miya answering. The stony scowl told the redhead that he wasn't enjoying any of it either. But his expression wasn't what had her attention, though enticing as he did look, she focused on his suit. She could feel the electrical impulses and lining of the suit from her room. It wasn't out of her reach and she was currently zipping through its programing within her mind's eye. Nothing too fancy though. Simple combat suit that helped in aiding the wearer with a few tools that would keep him alive. She was fascinated by its design though. So… alien. Ahead of its time too, if what the software she was looking at told her. Though it could use an update.

In another part of her mind, she was tapping into communication satellites to learn more of the man, digging through MBI databases to see what they found. Which wasn't much mind you. Poor, poor MBI. They were absolutely useless without her.

Matsu picked up where they left off, diving into the CIA files that had been cut off from MBI. Childs play really. She tore through their cheap firewalls as if they were made of tissue paper. Maybe she would be kind enough to send them something of her own design one day, just to apologize. Maybe.

Finding Hayden Tenno's un-inked files was difficult. The man hardly existed outside them. And that made the self proclaimed Wisdom Sekirei frown.

Movement in the bath got her attention, and she looked to see the shape of the younger one finish her hair, and move into the bath to relax in a good soak. The other one, Number 07, remained seated and continued to slowly wash away on her body. Matsu unconsciously wiggled her hips, perverted smirk forming on her lips. But it was short lived when she found the files she was looking for. The printer to the side began to print out her findings, the Sekirei looking at them in worry as she looked over the files through her connection with the online system. Hayden Tenno was a far more dangerous man than what she fantasized about in the short time she spied on him. But than again, he may be the one man who would put a serious dent in the Sekirei-Plan.

 **DSS**

Akitsu stared down into the steamy water at her feet, toes wiggling in the water. She had just finished washing her hair, and was soon to join Yashima. The shorter Sekirei sat quietly in the tub after having already cleaned herself and was enjoying the soak. She was humming some tune that Akitsu couldn't identify. Not that she cared really. Her thoughts mostly focused on her Ashikabi, the man currently talking with the landlady of the house. Mostly him though. She was a forethought when Akitsu wanted Hayden there with her to wash her back… and maybe other things. Her expression didn't change but she blushed deeply.

Yashima leaned over the edge of the bath, looking at the still back of Akitsu. "The waters really nice," she said, hoping to strike up a conversation with the older Sekirei. The whole time they walked to the inn, neither one had said a work unless it was to their Ashikabi. And he in turn spoke to them evenly. She continued to call him Tenno-sama even though he asked her not too. Yashima could tell it was for her own enjoyment. She would smile when he groaned in response to her calling him that.

No. 84 couldn't help but let her thoughts linger on her Ashikabi, the mysterious man who came in and rescued her from a fate that would have no doubt been cruel. She won't lie. There was a pull to the Ashikabi who had assaulted her. Her biology giving in under his mere presence. It was in all of them really. The feeling of them nearby, the draw to make the contract. Only when it was for the true destined one that the pull was strongest. The build up of heat. The pounding of the heart, racing as if one had been running for hours without stopping. It would be painful till the pact is made. And that vile Ashikabi nearly had her. She wondered though if some other poor Ashikabi had the misfortune to be winged by him. She was sure that her Ashikabi had wounded him enough that he wouldn't be walking for a while. Thinking back on it, she was sure she heard something break in his body.

Sudden movement and the water shifted told her Akitsu was entering the bath, the buxom No. 07 settling in the other side of the bath, eyes closed as she submerged herself up to her shoulders. Yashima smiled, looking her way, the two remaining silent as they enjoyed the good soak of the bath. The only sound in the room being the slow drip of water from the faucet.

Drip.

Drip.

Drip.

It would drip a few more times till Yashima asked, "So when did Tenno-sama wing you?"

Akitsu flinched slightly. The topic of being winged was still sensitive to her, but Yashima didn't know that. So far only the older Sekirei seemed to understand her mark being on her forehead signified she was… damaged goods. The younger ones like Yashima may not know. "Shortly before you," she answered simply, looking away while she rubbed the bridge of her nose with an index finger. Then she added, "That makes me first."

Yashima then sulked a little in the bath.

 **DSS**

"So by now everyone who is taking part in this knows who I am," Hayden asked, index finger and thumb massaging the bridge of his nose. He wanted more details as to what he had gotten himself into, and Miya had been happy enough to give it. Everything Homura said to him was true. Alien super powered men, as few as they are, and women were going to turn the city into a battlefield the second the last Sekirei is winged. And whoever is the last one standing is granted a 'wish'. Hayden had asked her to repeat that part when she had said it the first time, and even when she told him a second time he still found it hard to believe. Hayden was sure she was leaving some key information out. For instance how she was involved and why or how this place was so safe. For a later time of course. Following that he asked for information about who was involved, and she gave a few names that she knew of and had added that by now they were informed of him. "Great."

"Its how Minaka plays his game," Miya said as she finished her second cup. "Though his idea wasn't what it was originally suppose to be."

"You seem to know a lot, ma'am," Hayden said.

"My husband had been part of the research team on the island," she said, smiling as a faint memory of the past crept through the forefront of her mind. She missed the curious look Hayden gave her though. "The plan was suppose to be about protecting the 'sleeping birds', as they were called at the time, till they were mature enough to fend for themselves."

"But now its a combat sport till the last one is standing," Hayden mumbled, a deep scowl forming. "When does it start?"

"The first stage has begun; the release of the Sekirei. When at least 90% of the Sekirei are winged, the second stage begins with the city of Tokyo becoming closed off from the country."

"You're serious?" That was a bit much to swallow. The entire country? MBI had that much power? "Its hard to believe that one city can just cut itself off because of one man."

"You underestimate how much his knowledge and wealth has dug itself into this country, Tenno. The second stage will be the Ashikabi racing to wing the remaining 10%. I hate to say it but combat would be inevitable." She looked to Hayden as he rested his elbow on the table, hand rubbing at his forehead. "Perhaps we should call it a night, Tenno. You look exhausted."

"I wasn't till now," he growled as he rose to his feet. The soft thumps at the stairs drew his attention, and there stood both Yashima and Akitsu; cleaned and wearing bath robes and their hair wrapped in towels. Akitsu looked the same, a blank expression on her face though she looked a bit flush when she looked his way. Yashima was all smile, hands held in front as she looked towards him with just as much red in her cheeks as her fellow Sekirei. "You two look better."

"I feel much better," Yashima said, her eyes never leaving Hayden's figure. Even standing casual as he did he looked, in her words, awesome. Though she noticed the bit of gray in his hair, but that didn't bother her any. It seemed to add something to his look.

"Hm," was Aktisu's only remark, her eyes looking to Hayden then away. She fidgeted slightly, her mind wandering to others things to distract herself from thinking about technically standing naked in front of the man she claimed as her Ashikabi. Her eyes widened as a deeper blush formed upon realizing what she just thought of.

Miya giggled slightly at seeing the two Sekirei reacting to their Ashikabi. It was cute, though Hayden seemed to hold more of a father appeal to them than what the two would like. Yashima did look a bit young for the man. Akitsu looked to be around the proper age or close enough. Though Miya had her rules. She stood and gracefully moved to the girl's side, a hand on either's shoulder. "I will escort them to your room, Tenno. Why don't you go and get cleaned up yourself. I'm sure you'll want to be out of that… suit?" She watched Hayden glance down, left arm rising as he gave himself an inspection before agreeing with her assessment. "Good. I'll have a robe waiting for you when you are done."

"Um!" Yashima called out suddenly, face turning beat red. "I-if you want T-ttttenno-sama, I could help…"

"Me too," Akitsu chimed in, face red in color but neutral as ever. The air seemed to drop in temperature as well.

Hayden's shoulders sagged as he sighed, watching the two Sekirei under his care fidget and blush while Miya stood between them, giggling at his discomfort. "You two just got cleaned up, and more than me probably need a real bed to lay down on." He gave a wave for them to go on. "If you would, ma'am."

"Please, Tenno. Call me Miya." She gently turned the two girls away as they began to sulk. "Come now. You know my rules from when you first arrived. None of 'that' in my inn. The bath is down the hall, Tenno. Please relax while I tend to these two and get them settled in." As Miya guided the two young ones on to their room, she couldn't help but wonder how Matsu was taking all this in. She had a good idea that the 'brain type' Sekirei would have been using her little spy cameras throughout the house to watch and listen in on their conversation. She had no doubts that Matsu had also looked into Hayden Tenno's background. Just from what she was able to discern herself, the man has some form of military background. One that has him on the run. Miya of course wasn't worried. She could handle it easily if things were to get… hectic. Going down the hall, passing two rooms that were currently occupied, she lead the girls into a spacious room for them to use. Considering that there were three of them to stay, she was sure it was going to be cramped. "Well then, lets get you girls settled in."

 **DSS**

Hayden closed the door, not bothering to lock it. The girls seemed disciplined enough not to do anything and he was sure he didn't have to worry about Miya. He looked the room over once, finding what he was going to need. It wasn't just himself that was going to need a scrubbing. Though the suit had its own built in scrubbers to deal with built up dirt and grime, he still needed to change the filter system located along the spine. A mental command sent a signal into the spinal line that latched onto his back, the buckles of his suit unlatching. The spine opened, his back bare to the steamy air. Probing nodes on the inside was pulled from his back, the suit's internal systems shutting off with a click as it was no longer connected to his body. He shrugged out of it, the upper half folding forward and onto the floor. Hayden gave a sigh as his torso took in the air. Pale skin began to bead up from the steam. A short time later, Hayden was completely out of the suit, pale and nude to the world. He removed the glove on his right hand, hesitating for only a second before removing the makeshift wrap around his arm.

The second the tattered and blood stained wrap fell, organic metal was revealed. Odd fissures and lines gave a dim blue glow, but nothing else. He flexed the limb, fingers curling and uncurling.

Hayden wasn't traditional by any means. There was no washing, then getting into the bath. And he needed to relax. But first the suit needed to be cleaned… thoroughly. He sighed as he picked up a scrubber. Obviously it was to be used for a person, but it would do for the time being. Not like he could just toss it into the washer.

 **DSS**

Matsu's jaw dropped, cheeto in her hand falling onto her lap as she stared at the screen. When the girls had finished most of the steam had left as well the second the door opened. The hot water had begun to cool off. So the lens of her camera had defogged just enough for her to get a juicy glance at the man beneath the strange suit. And boy did she get a view. The suit had added bulk to the man, but what was beneath it was taught, lean muscle. Pale skin with very pronounced scars., some obviously from bullet wounds, others from anything from a broken piece of glass or knife. A small patch on the left side of his lower back had a burn mark. But what had her attention the most was that of his right arm. That was no scar. That was not burn tissue. It was a silver blue and the elbow seemed a bit boney and sharp. The odd metal carapace stretched up just enough to his right pectoral and at the edge of his neck, easily concealed by the suit he wore.

Immediately she looked to the printouts she made, eyes rapidly scanning through each piece to look for anything that pertained to a deformed arm. But there was nothing. Everything about Hayden Tenno ended at a mission on a Russian island that was caught up in a tropical storm. Reports said everyone on the island had perished. Matsu smelled cover-up. But there was nothing to lead her on to the next clue. Hayden's story simply ends there with no conformation of his death. It was even marked that he was missing in action. She looked back to him on the small stool, meticulously scrubbing at the suit. "I wonder how Miya-sama will take this."

 **DSS**

As to her word, a robe with some sleeping attire was waiting for Hayden when he had finished. They were a bit smaller than what he wore, leading him to assume they had once belonged to her husband. She did seem like the type to hold onto such belongings. The robe was good enough to find his arm, however his hand was still exposed.

Quickly hiding it behind his back, Hayden looked to see Miya standing at the end of the hall, hands in front as she smiled kindly in his direction. "Sorry," she said dipping her head slightly. "I haven't seen that robe worn by anyone in a long time. Though it looks a little small on you."

"I'll do my best not to damage it," the former cleaner said, making sure to keep his hand hidden. Miya approached slightly, small steps that seemed light as a feather. "I will repay your hospitality." He quickly added, turning slightly as she passed him.

"So long as you pay your rent at the end of the month."

Hayden followed her slowly. "Rent?"

"Can't very well have you and two little birds out in the city with no roof over your head now can I. Izumo Inn is home to those who need it, but it is not free. And I will not take any money from MBI."

Hayden frowned. It wasn't like he could just go and get a job. He basically didn't exist in the world. If possible he was probably considered dead by the US. He had other methods he could use. Of course none of it was legal, but he hadn't been caught yet. "I'll see what I can do. I may still have some friends who can help me."

"You have friends, Tenno?" Miya asked with a smile. She paused at a door down the hall, leading Hayden to believing this was where he would stay.

Even Hayden found that to be a bit of a stretch. "More like past associates."

The inn keeper nodded, turning and looked to Hayden. "This will be your room. Akitsu and Yashima are already settled in. Didn't take them long to fall asleep."

"I'm not at all surprised. It has been a long night," Hayden added as he reached for the door, opening it slowly. "I know Yashima still has her clothes but Akitsu…"

"I will see what I have on hand. I have to admit, some of my clothing may not be to her tastes… or her size as well." She hid her smile behind her hand, a glint in her eye sent towards Hayden who frowned. "Remember my rules on lewd behavior, Tenno."

"Lewd behavior is the last thing on my mind, Miya."

"I bet it is." She turned, heading towards the stairs. "Sleep well, Tenno."

Hayden sighed when he entered the room, mind racing with thoughts of what he was going to do next. It was probably a minute of lingering at the door, hand on the knob before turning to fully take stock of the room. Closet on the far side, a desk in the corner. In the center of the room the girl slept on three futons. The center was vacant, obviously for him, with the girls lying on either side. His eyes narrowed slightly as he realized they planned it like this. He looked to his arm, flexing his hand for a second before moving to the foot of the futons, his back pressed to the wall as he sat on the floor. He leaned to his right, head resting into the corner for support. This placed him just slightly behind the door. If someone entered, he'd be ready for them. Hayden was a light sleeper so nothing would get past him. Even when two minutes passed, he heard movement in the room, and then pressure on either side of him as Akitsu and Yashima snuggled into him, heads resting against his shoulders. An irritated groan escaped him as he looked to the girls, their eyes closed.

"You planned this, didn't you?" They said nothing, but both nodded their heads with their eyes still closed. Again his thoughts lingered on how he wished this had happened during his high school years. "In the beds," he said, shifting slightly to stand. The two were quick, moving back into their positions. Hayden still found this extremely weird but there was no point in fighting. He was exhausted with his mind running a million miles a second trying to think of his next move. By this time he would have ran for the nearest ship to take him to Asia, disappear into the wilderness for a while. He'd been doing that for the past twelve years, his former employees only catching up to him when he made a stop in Roanapur five years back. Half the damn area got set on fire when they came after him.

The robe stayed on as he rested back onto the bed, above the sheets. That didn't stop either from snuggling close. And the longer he laid there, their sleeping faces inches from him, their breath tickling across his skin, the more he had to put his mind somewhere else. For starters, who he could make contact with in the city that he could trust, hadn't left in the years he had been gone, and who was still alive. Akitsu and Yashima could handle themselves in the fight, most likely. So he didn't have to worry about them but from Akitsu's actions earlier he was sure they would do they could to protect him.

And Hayden Tenno didn't need protecting.

 **DSS**

Miya sat in Matsu's poorly lit room, glancing over the printouts the perverted Sekirei had made. Said Sekirei was currently chewing on a cheeto, her eyes fixed on the woman in front of her. Miya was quiet. It was slightly nerve wracking for Matsu, but she patiently waited for her to finish.

When Miya had finished, she sat the paper down. "This is all you could find?"

"I'm the best, Miya," Matsu boasted, sitting a little straighter. "Out of all the brain-type Sekirei out there, I have the most skill and experience. I dove deep into the United States government's most secret files to find out about that man. MBI's best couldn't do it and they nearly got caught. If they had been caught it would be like the island all over again."

"Except with innocent lives on the line," Miya said as she thought on the safety of the civilians in the city if MBI would come under attack by the US. But would they be so bold? No, it would a like a Cold War to ensure secrecy. And if what she read about Hayden was true, they would send men like him. But not just to deal with MBI and their snooping, but perhaps to come after Hayden. In the past she would remove the threat before it got out of hand. But with the two birds he had winged under his care… could she really do that? "Tenno went out of his way to protect to young women from harm when he didn't have to."

"His government titled him an asset. A tool, Miya. And a highly dangerous one if his records have anything to say about it. He has killed people."

"So did we," Miya said as a matter of fact.

"We were protecting ourselves. Our kind from what they may have had in mind. Probably something similar to whatever happened to him."

"Any different than what Minaka has planned for us?"

Matsu sighed. Hand tapping slightly at a keyboard to her side. "Take a look at this."

Miya looked to the screen only to immediately blush and look away. "Matsu!"

"Trust me, Miya, you need to see this."

Miya noted the seriousness in Matsu's voice. Rare, especially when there was an image of a naked man on the screen. She had agreed to the security cameras long ago, but for only to be used on someone in question. Granted Hayden had landed himself on such a list.

Miya steeled herself and turned, trying to find something to lock onto on the screen that wouldn't divert her eyes to any portion of his body that would drag her thoughts in a perverted direction. Though it was very hard to do so. All thoughts however stopped the second she saw what Matsu wanted her to see. The arm he had kept wrapped and hidden from her view was not human. The entire skin of his right arm was covered or changed into… metal? What exactly had happened to his arm for it to be like that?

The No. 02 Sekirei had caught on to what Miya was thinking. "Whatever happened to him is off the records," Matsu said, freezing the image. A simple gesture with her fingers zoomed the image in. "His last mission had him in a satellite country connected to Russia called Lasria. His target was a man named Robert Mezner. A very severe tropical storm washed over the area though. Records said no one survived."

"And yet Hayden is here with us. How long ago was this?" She looked over to Matsu, the glasses wearing Sekirei biting her lip. "Matsu?"

"It was twelve years ago," Matsu answered, bringing up an image of Hayden from that time, and lining it with an image she took of him inside the house not long ago.

Miya looked at the two images, and aside from the bit of gray forming in Hayden's hair, he hadn't aged a bit. "He doesn't look like he has aged."

"He was twenty-nine when he went to Lasria, Miya. Hayden would be forty-one to this day."

Miya didn't know exactly what to say on the matter. The moment one question is answered, another pops up with seemingly no answer unless she was to get it from the man in question.

 **DSS**

Early the next morning a bespectacled dark haired man in a dark blue suit marched down a brightly lit white hall. Behind him following closely was a woman with gray hair with red half-moon glasses. She wore a long light purple outfit similar to a corset that had frills around the neck and under her ample bosom with a belt tied along her waist. A slit ran down the side of her outfit from her thigh. This was one Kakizaki and his Sekirei, Number 22 Kocho. Both currently moved to the door of Hiyamakai Enterprises' CEO, Higa Izumi. Entering the office they see the man sitting at his desk, performing another all nighter without a hint of fatigue. Said man looked like a normal sized young gentleman, adorned in a simple white suit with matching undershirt and tie with short brown hair and dark eyes. He was currently focused on a business contract, reading thoroughly over the 'fine print' as it were when he looked to see the Ashikabi and his Sekirei enter. He gave them a simple bored look before looking back to the paper work before him. "What is it, Kakizaki?"

"New information about two Ashikabi has been updated," he said as he approached, smart phone in hand as he brought up the images and names. "One a young man named Sahashi Minato, age 19. The other… Tenno, age unknown. Both were last seen at the Izumo Inn with the Hannya of the North. The boy so far has winged one Sekirei, Number 88 Musubi. This Tenno person has two, Number 07 Akitsu and Number 84 Yashima."

 _And they are all with the Hannya_ , thought the CEO. _How interesting._ "The boy is negligible for the time being. Tenno though. Two Sekirei and one being a single number." He looked to Kakizaki. "What do we know about him? Did MBI give us anything to know about?" Not that they would really willing divulge information about those playing what he called a 'farce'.

"Less than what they normally give. He seemed to not exist till this very night when he claimed Number 07."

Higa leaned in his seat, finger tapping lightly on his desk. "When the chance arrives that he is away from the Hannya, I want to speak with him. Have a surveillance placed and in waiting for the moment he is alone."

"With two Sekirei at his side, that might be a problem." Kakizaki paused, clearing his throat. "And I don't believe he will be easy to apprehend as easily as Number 10's Ashikabi."

"Just make it happen, Kakizaki," ordered Higa as he focused on his work. "Dismissed."

Kakizaki said nothing and turned to leave, his Sekirei following close behind.

 **DSS**

Hayden's eyes immediately snapped open and stared up at an unfamiliar ceiling. The pressure of his suit was missing, replaced by the pressure of two other heat sources pressing against him on either side, legs nearly entangled with his while his arms were pinned. On either side of his peripheral vision he could see brown hair and brownish/blonde hair. Light breathing on his left tickled his neck and a humorously cute snoring on his right came to his ears. The last time this happened to him was a drunken night after his twenty second birthday. The girls then though were no where near as attractive.

Gently and slowly prying himself loose, Hayden climbed up from the futon. There was no clock to tell him the time, but with the sunlight pouring into the room he guessed it was still early in the morning. Quietly he collected his suit and made his way for the door, pausing for a second when Yashima stirred. She inched over towards Akitsu, the older Sekirei pulling the younger to her. Both paused and settled. Hayden sighed. After a second he made his way to the door and slid out. The hall was silent. No sign of disturbance of any kind. A trip down the stairs and to the bathroom, Hayden dropped the robe and clothes Miya had given him to begin the arduous task of putting the suit back on. The hardened Technocyte of the suit adhered and bonded to the Technocyte of his arm. The nodes reacted to the electrical impulses of his body, latching quickly to his spine. The suit came alive, closing shut. Latches and buckles locked down, and pulled taut to form accordingly to his body. The helm folded up and over his head, closing him in darkness for only a second before the HUD came online, the edges of his vision fuzzy with a thin blue glow. He glanced once in the mirror to look at the bone white of his mask before giving a mental command for it open, the leather like material opening like a flower. Lastly, he pulled the one glove he had over his right hand.

Collecting the assorted clothes he was loaned, he opened the door, pausing only to stare and lock eyes with a redhead with glasses. Said redhead stared back with groggy eyes till they finally registered what they were looking at, widening slowly. She then turned, and slowly walked away, going up the stairs and disappearing onto the second floor.

"I see you met Matsu."

Took everything in Hayden to not draw his glaive, the weapon ready to spring from his wrist. Of course doing so would have shredded the clothes he was holding. Looking to the side he saw Miya, looking fresh and ready for the day. "Morning, Miya," he said, holding the clothes out to her. "Thanks again for the robe and such." He noticed though she held another article of clothing, and immediately his eyes widened. His coat. In that brief moment he forgot about his arm!

Miya simply took the clothes, and gently handed Hayden his coat. "Matsu is rather shy, you see. But trust me when she warms up to you, you may not enjoy it." She leaned slightly close. "She's a bit lewd."

Hayden's eyes just looked around the room, slightly confused as to why she wasn't hitting him with a million questions. "Um…" he froze instantly as Miya laid a hand on his forearm, her eyes taking it its surface. "Miya…"

"I believe in time you will feel safe enough to explain, Tenno."

Hayden's jaw tightened slightly, eyes looking to the side and off into distant memories. "I don't think you would like to hear it." She pulled the coat over, buttoning up the front. "I don't think they would like to hear it either."

"You'd be surprised as to what they would accept."

"And that's what worries me as well," he said as he turned and started toward the door. Gentle footsteps could be heard following behind him. "I understand the thought of searching for a person's soulmate but what you told me last night isn't searching; it's a pre-program in their genetic code to find someone and bond to them." He paused at the door, turning to look at her. "What if that person is a monster? What if that person hurts other people, yet they bond to them and would endure whatever treatment that was put on them? You think that its fair?" He looked back to the door.

"If its what their soul calls out to…"

"I don't believe in any of that," Hayden growled. "I don't believe in higher powers. This… thing that the Sekirei are forced to follow is a program made by a mad man." His fist clenched. "I've been used and manipulated in the past, and I'll be damned if I let it happen again." He felt her presence draw closer and turned only to find that woman's eyes burning back into. Hayden felt a bead of sweat form on his temple but he had faced many things in life. Monsters included on that list. And though he felt himself shudder, he held his ground.

"Those girls will not be manipulating you."

"Its not them. That man Minaka has made it clear that if I don't play, he will hurt them. I won't let that happen but I won't play his game by his rules." He turned to the door, opening it up to step outside. "Please look after them till I return."

"And where are you going?" Miya asked, finding herself growing angry by the second.

"You said I have to have rent," he said looking back over his shoulder. "I'm going to get it."

"It doesn't have to be today," Miya said, a hand reaching for his shoulder. She relaxed her grip, knowing she had the strength to yank him back in. "Those girls need you now. You just disappearing like this will not be good for them, especially after only one night after their winging. And they will feel how you are affected by this plan. Believe in it or not, your souls are tied and bound." She moved closer, turning him to look at her. "You don't strike me as the type to abandon people, Tenno."

"I'm not abandoning them."

"I understand that but just leaving without them knowing may leave that impression. At least wait for them awake first." She released his shoulder, eyes roaming his form before letting out a sigh. "Besides, you shouldn't be walking around during the day looking like that."

Hayden blinked at the sudden turn in conversation and looked down at himself. "What's wrong?"

"For starters you look like a bum," she said as she moved around him again, shutting the door and gently pushing back inside. "You need a haircut and that jacket needs to be burned."

"Its all I have…"

"I will see if I have something of my husbands that will fit but first thing first, your hair."

Unbeknownst the two, a pair of brown eyes was spying from at top of the stairs, a sly smile appearing in the owners face. A rather large bust bounced slightly as the girl moved to the far wall at the end of the hall, knocking lightly. "Matsu," the girl whispered, looking back at the stairs. "Matsu-san, open up!" The girl waited for a second before the secret door opened, the girl dipping in. She moved past the confused Matsu and over to her monitors, taking up the remote and switching over till she caught an image of Miya and Hayden on the screen, seeing them move to the back with Miya taking his coat. "This is so interesting," she said with lick of her lips.

"Uzume-san, what are you doing?" Matsu asked. She looked at the screen Uzume was focused on, seeing Miya return with a chair and a pair of clippers in hand. She watched the two bicker for a moment before Hayden seemed to finally relent and sit in the chair. Matsu dropped down next to Uzume, eyes glued to the screen though she had to brush the No. 10 Sekirei's side ponytail out of her face. "Is she…" but Matsu never finished her question. She silently watched as Miya pulled a towel around Hayden's neck, clipping the ends together with a hair pin. Next with a comb and clippers, began to cut at his long, unruly hair. She flipped one of the other monitors to get a look from another angle, and she could see Hayden's eyes closed, scowl ever present on his face.

"So who is the hunk?" Uzume asked suddenly, a certain glint in her eye. "And why is Miya-san cutting his hair? Besides the obvious that he needed it."

"He's our newest roommate here at the inn, and is the Ashikabi with two Sekirei down the hall."

Uzume finally pulled herself from the screen. "Really? I thought I heard some commotion last night."

"They're not the only ones either," Matsu continued. "Another Ashikabi and his Sekirei are moving in later. They left early this morning to begin packing their belongings."

"What's his story?"

"A ronin with no money basically," Matsu stated flatly. "Cute though."

"And this handsome dog that Miya is taking care of?"

"…possibly a threat?" it was more of a question than anything. Miya seemed to be pretty confident around the man but Matsu was still a bit worried of him.

"Ooo. A bad boy, huh?"

"More like a bad man. He's in his forties."

Uzume was owl eyed at that, looking to Matsu then back to the screen. "No way."

"Way."

 **DSS**

Hayden sat quietly. His eyes were shut as he allowed Miya to tend to his hair, her thin fingers running gently through the strands. She gently pulled his hair taut to get a measure of his hair and length before cutting. She would glance down at him for a second as she worked, her eyes lingering on his arm. She wanted to question on it. What had happened? Who did it? Was it painful? But she knew Hayden would be that kind of man you need to earn his trust before answering. And how he came to be what he was now was no doubt tied to who he was before.

Miya couldn't see Hayden as the type to enjoy short hair. It just didn't suit him. Though no where near as long as it had been, it was a still long enough to cover his ears. At least it was shaping him up to look presentable. She would get it as close to what would be 'cool' in the eyes of the public.

There were moment where she would pause to examine her work, fingers lingering in his hair to help remove the cut or loose strands. She remembered her first time trying to cut Takehito's hair. It was a complete mess. She had done everything she could to fix it but it only got worse. But her husband just smiled and went with it. He knew it would grow back enough for her to try again. She would watch videos online or on TV and see who it was properly done. By her second time she had improved… moderately. And Takehito, bless him, just smiled and accepted it.

"Finished?"

Miya blinked away the memories and remembered what she was doing. Her fingers were still running through his hair. "Almost," she answered as she moved the comb through his locks. "Just a bit more and we will be done."

Hayden hummed in acknowledgment and remained still as she snipped away at the uneven ends. He couldn't remember the last time he got a haircut. He'd forgotten how it felt. The relaxing feel of her fingers in his hair, brushing his scalp… he could fall asleep all over again. But this moment allowed him to plan out his next move. Money would be easy. He had his ways of getting it. Especially with the amount of time he's had to learn of his abilities and how to use him. The Technocyte within him gave him more advantages than he had originally thought. He was sure no one knew how far the could have advanced anyone if they survived the initial infection of the virus. The next step after that was gathering information. Miya knew more than what they had spoken about the night prior, so he would have to press her for more. But that in turn would probably rely on him telling her more about him. He needed names. Especially those involved in this game; Minaka at the top of that list of course.

And if the girls were going to get involved he needed to know the full extent of their powers and abilities. Yashima he knew nothing about except that she was strong. Carrying that hammer around would require some serious strength yet she wielded it with ease. Akitsu he had a better grasp of what she could do from watching her fight. His skills in using ice based abilities were limited in comparison to her. At the most when he inherence ice element powers he could freeze things with a touch. She can freely manipulate ice with a thought or a wave of her hand. She most likely could be a good deterrent against that one Sekirei, Homura, should he get in the way again.

"There," Miya said, removed the hair covered towel. She watched Hayden blink a few times as she brushed aside some loose hair from his face and shoulders. "Much better, Tenno. You look more appealing to the eyes now. Sure to turn some heads," she added coyly with a smile.

"Not my intention," Hayden remarked. As he turned to Miya, she again brushed away some hair on his chest and shoulders. "Not to sound pushy, but you mentioned something about a jacket?"

"Of course. Just one moment."

Hayden followed after her, stopping just at the main hall. She drifted off to another part of the inn to claim him a coat. Looking down at his suit, he hoped the coat would be big enough to hide his armor. Perhaps it would be a good idea to invest in a pair of clothes. Enough to carry in a bag.

He shook his head. He was already making plans to run, when he couldn't. Well he could run if he wanted but could he really leave these girls to the fate that Minaka had planned for them? And what of the others who were involved?

Miya returned, a long coat in hand. "Here we are," she said with that same smile she carried with her seemingly at all times. "It was the biggest coat he had. I think my husband had said something about it being a gift and not wanting to get rid of it, though it was a little big."

Taking the coat, Hayden examined it before sliding it on. There was no collar or pockets, except one on the inside. It was a dark gray, near black in color. Inside felt like silk with a sturdy outside to resist harsh weather. Definitely not cheap. "I'll take good care of it," Hayden said.

Miya was still smiling, though her thoughts seemed to have drifted elsewhere when seeing him wearing the coat. "Please do."

At that moment there was a knock at the door. Hayden turned sharply, but Miya was already moving past him and onward. "Do relax, Tenno," she said.

Miya made sure she was clean of any hair on her clothes and smoothed any wrinkles. Opening the door, she was happy to see the young man from the prior night and his Sekirei charge. The young ronin Sahashi Minato stood smiling at the door, a nervous look about him. His black hair was a bit of a mess, but most of the youth of his generation had their hair in that manner. His dark eyes sparkled with anticipation to move in to his new home. He was dressed accordingly for the cold morning. Next to him stood his Sekirei, the bubbly Musubi. The self proclaimed 'Fist Type' Sekirei sported a large smile as she carried a very large bag on her back that seemed to be a bit too large for the door frame. Minato seemed to notice her line of sight and smiled sheepishly. No doubt feel somewhat emasculated due to being unable to lift the large amount of belongings while Musubi looked to have no problem. Though he did carry a large bag of his own at his side but it was hardly half the size the one Musubi carried.

"Ara, welcome," Miya said greeting the two. "I've been expecting you." She eyed their bags and looked back to Hayden. "Tenno, would you be a dear…" her smile faltered ever so slightly, eye twitching when she saw the older gentleman had disappeared.

 **To Be Continued…**

 **That took a minute, but considering what I'm juggling at the moment it should come as no surprise. Remember you all who are willing to read my little fic, this will be a very slow update when in comparison to my other works. My Gundam fics kinda come first place in my attention.**

 **It's really hard not to work on other fics aside the three major ones I focus on. My RWBY/FF14ARR fic may or may not go pass a one-shot. I'm up in the air on it till the next season starts so when it really depends on what happens when Rooster Teeth airs the new season.**

 **My ideas seem to be a lot of first timers too from what I can tell. One I'm somewhat itching to do is this idea I have of a Power Rangers/Mass Effect crossover. The idea is this: Tom Oliver, the clone of Tommy Oliver is still stuck in the past. With him is the Green Power Coin. Settling down and having a normal life, Tom Oliver lives out his life trying not to interfere with the timeline so as not to change anything. However the Green Power Coin is passed down over the generations.**

 **Fast-forward to the present and with Operation Overdrive reactivating and tapping into the Morphing Grid, the power coin is awoken to the present descendant of Tom Oliver. My idea of the current holder though would be in his early to mid twenties. Staying out of the limelight he uses the power of the Green Ranger to deal with smalltime crooks, keeping to the dark and wearing a cloak to hide his identity.**

 **Now I think of the Morphing Grid as a living thing, similar to the Lantern Batteries for the Green Lanterns, and as such has a will of its own that spans time and space. So feeling the impending doom that has befallen the ME universe countless times, and feeling for once there is a chance to change things for the better, the Morphing Grid takes and transports the new Green Ranger into the ME universe to help in stopping the approaching threat.**

 **Well that was the idea I had anyway. And please people, remember, it just a fanfic. Some lore can be… altered. I mean Power Rangers looked like it should have ended after Power Rangers in Space but somehow came back.**

 **Another I had was of a Knights of Sidonia/Zone of the Enders crossover. Though its background wouldn't be as in-depth as my ME/PR crossover. As Sidonia and its forces are battling against the Gauna, they stumble upon a floating statue of what looked like two oddly shaped females, one with wings coming from its head. (This is suppose to be the remains of Hathor and Dolores that were drained of energy at the end of Z.O.E. Dolores, i.) Making contact with the statue, it drains their Gardes machines. From the statue emerges a newly formed and powered Idolo, the prototype and first Orbital Frame who's original remains were used in the construction of Hathor and Isis/Dolores. Disoriented a (somehow) resurrected Radium Lavans pilots the Idolo once again against a new threat unlike anything he had ever seen. Its really all I had at the time. Couldn't really think of a point in time he would 'appear' in the KOS universe or what would follow afterwards. Just one of those wishful things that may or may not pan out. Only time will tell.**

 **Oh and one that came to me recently is a Bleach/High school DxD crossover. 'But Nemesis Astraea, that crossover has been done into the ground.' Oh, you just wait my young impressionable readers. The idea I have is different. For we don't have Ichigo falling into the clutches of Rias Gremory's peerage and becoming a devil, or anyone else's devil peerage. Hell, Ichigo will not be a part of it at all, though he may be mentioned. Nor will there be many introductions of any known characters of Bleach. Yes it is an OC I have in mind. No he would not be a Shinigami, Quincy, or Espada. He would be a Fullbringer. One who was not so lucky as Ichigo to have someone train him. He learned his shit on the fly. And is very angry.**

 **Plot: Our OC would be angry at Hollows. Why? Why else would he? Family killed before him by Hollows. No one believes him when he says he sees monsters (Hollows) and ghosts. You can imagine what would happen to a child who sees things that no one else does. Mental hospitals, orphanages. Its pretty damn rough. Later when he's older, (for reasons I haven't considered till I started writing this) he gets some of his parents belongings, including some clothes, namely a jacket his dad wore. Putting his dad's clothes on effects and awakens his Fullbring powers. (May be more involved, not fleshing it out.) Noticing this power he uses it to fight the 'monsters'. Getting stronger and faster, he pushes himself harder till he fights one that is different from the rest. Wounding it as it begins to do what he thinks is 'tearing a hole in space and time' he chases after it and kills it midway. (Again fleshing out will take some work.) But somehow through the 'portal' he gets dumped somewhere else. Wild, angry, and not in the mood to deal with perverted devils and ridiculous games he'd shake things up quite a bit. His Fullbring that I came up with he kinda refers to as 'Cloths Make the Man'. The jacket and pants his dad once own turn into armor for him to wear, giving him a bit of a demonic/Hollowfied look, though instead of white bone like armor it would be black. The look was inspired by work from Nihei Tsutomu. Probably know him from his work such as Blame, Biomega, or Knights of Sidonia.**

 **Anyway, enough of my rants and throwing stuff out. See you later.**


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